Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it is no longer bound by any commitment to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for vessels linked to Israel and its supporters, warning that any attempt to breach the closure will be met with force. The statement places full responsibility on Israel and the U.S. for the consequences, citing continued aggression.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Saturday night that it considers itself released from all prior commitments regarding the Strait of Hormuz, and declared the waterway closed to vessels linked to Israel and its supporters until further notice. The statement, issued via official IRGC channels, warns that any attempt to breach the closure will be met with force, and places full responsibility on Israel and the United States for the consequences. The IRGC also reiterated its citation of continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon and international inaction as the justification. This development was first reported by The Zioneer at 23:16 Jerusalem as two separate bulletins — the initial declaration of a release from maritime understandings, followed by a clarification explicitly naming the Strait and threatening force, and a separate assertion that the talks in Switzerland are not part of ongoing negotiations.
This announcement escalates a thread The Zioneer has tracked since Wednesday June 10, when the IRGC first declared the Strait closed following reported U.S. strikes on coastal sites. On Thursday June 11, the newly formed Strait of Hormuz Authority formalized the closure as indefinite (published 12:20 Jerusalem), while the U.S. disputed the blockade, asserting that maritime traffic continued (published 02:09 Jerusalem). On Sunday June 14, Iranian state TV doubled down, declaring the Strait remained closed and no foreign ships were permitted. By Thursday June 18, a U.S. Navy force reportedly warned IRGC speedboats in Persian to halt operations near the Strait — a report from a single source, still unverified by additional channels.
As The Zioneer reported on June 10, Iran's Mehr news agency had reported seven targets struck along the southern coast in what it described as U.S. strikes — the trigger for the initial IRGC announcement. Tehran has consistently linked the blockade to the failure of the U.S. to enforce ceasefire terms in Lebanon and the continued IDF presence in southern Lebanon, as reported by The Zioneer on June 11.
It remains unclear whether any vessel has been physically stopped or fired upon since the initial declaration on June 10. The U.S. continues to dispute the blockade's operational effect. The IRGC's latest statement, while explicitly naming the Strait and threatening force, does not alter the declared closure — it reframes it with a direct threat of military action against violators. The status of the Switzerland talks, which an Iranian source said are not part of official negotiations, remains ambiguous.
6 developments
- DevelopingUS Navy warns IRGC vessels in Persian: 'halt or we attack' near Strait of Hormuz
- StrongIran tightens Strait of Hormuz transit rules: mandatory insurance, threat of IRGC Navy sanctions
- StrongIRGC Navy issues 'severe danger' warning to all vessels in Strait of Hormuz
- DevelopingIRGC turns ships back in Strait of Hormuz, analyst suggests mine avoidance
Source and signal
- Internal intake