Iran threatens to close oil routes as U.S. expands strikes in Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned it could shut regional oil export passages in response to a renewed U.S. naval blockade, while U.S. forces launched additional strikes against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced on Wednesday that it may block all oil and gas export routes serving U.S. interests after Washington reinstated a maritime blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. The statement, carried by state media, said the region's energy shipments would be "available to everyone or to no one" and warned that other routes could be closed as well.
The U.S. Central Command said its forces began a new wave of strikes on Iranian positions in the strait to "further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping." Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, accused Iran of attacking seven commercial vessels and launching missiles at Gulf states, adding that U.S. forces are holding Iran accountable for actions that endanger civilian lives.
The escalation marks the fifth consecutive day of heightened hostilities since the conflict began on Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Recent U.S. operations have reimposed the blockade of Iranian vessels, prompting Tehran to strike U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global energy supplies pass, remains a focal point of the dispute. Iran has asserted the right to require ships to follow approved routes and has previously announced temporary closures of the waterway. A secondary chokepoint, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which handles about 10% of world oil shipments, could also be affected; a senior Houthi official warned it would be closed if Saudi-backed attacks on Yemeni infrastructure continued.
In a related development, President Trump reversed a proposed 20% cargo fee for vessels transiting the strait, citing discussions with Gulf leaders and offering trade and investment deals instead. The blockade, however, remains in effect, and the United States continues to advise commercial traffic to use a southern route along Oman's coast, a move Iran says violates a prior memorandum of understanding.