The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has told Qatari mediators it will re-close the Strait of Hormuz unless it receives guarantees of sole control and the U.S. and Western nations abandon plans to sail the southern route near Oman's coast, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened to re-close the Strait of Hormuz unless it receives guarantees of exclusive control over the waterway, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited Tuesday evening by Israeli journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12). The IRCG conveyed the message through Qatari mediators, demanding that the U.S. and Western nations abandon plans to use the southern shipping route near Oman's coast.
The threat follows a series of escalating IRGC actions in the strategic chokepoint over recent weeks. As The Zioneer has reported, the IRGC earlier declared the Strait closed to Israel-linked vessels (June 20), turned ships back in what analysts assessed as mine-avoidance measures (June 20–21), and fired warning shots at U.S. warships in the Gulf of Oman (June 5). The U.S. Navy responded by broadcasting Persian-language warnings to IRGC vessels (June 18). The IRGC then asserted full control (June 25), and internal sources later expressed anger over what they called U.S. 'deception' regarding a deal (June 28).
The Wall Street Journal report, attributed to IRGC sources and cited by Rozentzweig, indicates the Guards are now re-escalating demands. The reported threat — to close the critical maritime corridor globally, not just to Israeli-linked shipping — marks a significant hardening of Tehran's position, directly challenging both U.S. freedom-of-navigation operations and Oman's role as a neutral mediator.
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- ConfirmedIRGC declares Strait of Hormuz closed to Israel-linked vessels until further notice
- StrongIRGC announces closure of Strait of Hormuz after Iran's World Cup disqualification
Source and signal
- Internal intake