An Iranian Revolutionary Guards senior official said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and Iran will set fire to any ship trying to pass, Iranian media reported.
This is Iran’s most explicit warning since telling ships it was closing the export route on Saturday, a move that threatens to choke a fifth of global oil flows and send crude prices sharply higher.
“The strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze,” Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards commander-in-chief, said in remarks carried by state media.
Get daily National news
The strait is the world’s most vital oil export route, which connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The closure was triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 seeking to topple its leaders, with U.S. President Donald Trump offering Iranians help in ousting the ruling clerics.
In response, Iran fired several barrages of missiles at its Gulf neighbors hosting U.S. military bases such as Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Tehran also fired missiles at the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
- Iran’s unrelenting attacks continue in the Gulf region with no end in sight
- Oil prices jump, U.S. markets retreat as Iran war worsens supply concerns
- Children of some of Iran’s most outspoken regime leaders live in West
- Keir Starmer was warned of ‘reputational risk’ in appointing Mandelson, files show
-
![]()
Business Matters: Surging oil prices threaten global economy, G7 discuss but don’t release stockpiles -
![]()
Trump says there’s ‘practically nothing left to target’ in Iran, war will end ‘soon’ -
![]()
Iranian protester’s daring video condemning regime was ‘price of freedom’ -
![]()
Canada’s role in historic emergency oil reserve release
With this closure, Tehran made good on years of threats to block the narrow waterway in retaliation for any attack on the Islamic Republic.
About 20% of the world’s daily oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which is about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
Oil markets have focused on tensions between Tehran and its old foes, the U.S. and Israel, fearing that a full-blown conflict would disrupt supplies and destabilize the region.
The move also comes after global shipping had already experienced disruptions linked to drone and missile attacks carried out by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants. The group has targeted vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the Gaza war broke out in 2023.
DEATH Catapulted from iRAN!
Deadliest undersea corridor in the world! 🥰
They can threaten, but Iran effectively has no navy anymore, and their missile supply is nearly depleted or destroyed. The Straight of Hormuz is not closed, as the IRGC is not a legitimate force and don’t have any capability of enforcing this. That’s also why the U.S. navy is present, to ensure safe passage through international waters.