Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed only to US, Israeli and Western vessels
"In times of war, the Islamic Republic of Iran will have the right to control the passage through the Strait of Hormuz," it said.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said the Strait of Hormuz is closed only to vessels linked to the United States, Israel, Europe and their Western allies.
In a statement carried by state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Thursday (5 March), the IRGC said the restriction applied to ships belonging to those countries and their supporters, reports CNN.
"We had previously said that, based on international laws and resolutions, in times of war, the Islamic Republic of Iran will have the right to control the passage through the Strait of Hormuz," the force said.
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The IRGC warned that if vessels belonging to the US, Israel, Europe "and their supporters" are detected, "they will certainly be hit."
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping routes for oil and trade, has seen traffic largely dry up since the war began. The waterway has been effectively closed since the United States and Israel launched a joint operation against Iran on Saturday, a move that has pushed global oil prices higher and raised concerns about wider economic disruption.
