Iran’s military has announced it is once again asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports from state-affiliated media outlets.
The Fars News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), alongside the Iranian Students News Agency and state broadcaster IRIB, cited an IRGC statement indicating the strategic waterway will return “to its previous state,” with Iranian armed forces overseeing the area.
There have been earlier indications that some vessels were able to pass through the strait, though the extent of maritime traffic navigating the route remains uncertain.
In its statement, the IRGC accused the United States of engaging in “piracy,” claiming that what it described as a blockade effectively amounts to maritime robbery.
Iran had previously warned it would move to shut down the strait if the US continued restricting access to its ports.
The renewed move to enforce military control appears to follow through on that warning.
It also marks a further escalation in tensions over one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.
