Iran's Revolutionary Guard closes Strait of Hormuz to ship traffic

WASHINGTON, United States — TEHRAN — Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said Sunday it has closed the Strait of Hormuz to vessel transits until further notice. The IRGC said several ships had attempted in recent hours to pass through a route not authorized by Tehran and were acting on the instigation of foreign actors. According to the statement, one of the vessels switched off its identification and tracking systems, a step the Guard described as a threat to maritime security. IRGC forces fired warning shots and stopped the ship, the statement said. The Guard added that transits will not be permitted until what it called U.S. intervention in the region ends, and warned that any new American attack would be met with strikes on U.S. bases in the area. The closure follows last week's attacks on three Qatari and Saudi tankers, which Washington has attributed to Iran. The United States has since struck more than 80 Iranian military targets, and Tehran has retaliated against U.S. bases in Gulf countries. Maritime insurers have suspended sailings through the strait, and transit volumes have fallen to their lowest level since late June. The United States has called on Iran to reopen the passage free of charge and without restrictions, while Tehran insists on retaining authority over routing and permissions. Omani-mediated talks between the sides are ongoing.