Iran shuts Strait of Hormuz, launches fresh attacks on U.S. bases

Iran claims that it has blocked the Strait of Hormuz because it has attacked a passing ship with its naval cruise missile, saying that it was sailing through an unauthorized route.

As reported by the BBC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that the ship was shot with warning shots and halted due to its disregard for orders.

Then the US retaliated by carrying out strikes in the wake of the Iranian forces attack on the ship.

The attacks by the US led to the statement by the IRGC that the water passage would be blocked indefinitely and the military carried out strikes on US bases and allies in the region.

In a statement issued to Tasnim News Agency, which is a media arm of the IRGC, the military claimed that there was foreign interference in the vital international water passage.

“Given the precariousness that was caused by this unlawful interference by outside parties, the Strait of Hormuz is to be closed until further notice and until regional interference by the US ceases,” the statement reads.

“No vessel or naval craft will be allowed to pass.”

The IRGC warned that any US response to the closure would be met with “severity”, adding that military bases in the region would be targeted in the event of what it described as further aggression.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and the country’s chief negotiator with the US, said on X that the “era of one-sided deals is OVER”.

“We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking,” Ghalibaf wrote.

In June, the US and Iran agreed on a solution to stop the war in the Middle East on all fronts including Lebanon, and open the crucial shipping lane, while offering no hint about the problem of Tehran’s nuclear program.

The US and Pakistan declared that the pact will be signed in Switzerland, which marks the beginning of an important step in stopping the months-long war which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people.

But there has been one difficulty after another regarding the peace deal, since both Iran and the US forces have carried out reprisal attacks during this time.