Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported on Friday that the Hormuz Strait was open for navigation. Hours later, a senior military official warned the strait could be shut again. The warning came from General Ali Reza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian navy in the Gulf region, who stated that any ship passing through without Iranian permission would be seized.
The strait is a critical global oil shipping route, handling about a fifth of the world’s crude oil exports. International maritime authorities have not yet commented on the latest threat. The U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, monitors the area but has not changed its operational posture.
This is the second time in two years Iran has threatened to close the strait. In 2021, similar warnings followed tensions over nuclear talks. The European Union and several Arab states have previously called such threats a violation of international law.
Norwegian shipping companies, which rely on safe passage through the strait, have not altered their routes. Norway’s foreign ministry said it follows developments closely but has no immediate plans to adjust its maritime security guidance.
The latest statement follows weeks of heightened rhetoric between Iran and Western powers over regional security and nuclear policy.
Source: e24.no