Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The condition placed on the United States and the ships that will receive “priority”
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will block the Strait of Hormuz starting Saturday evening, according to an announcement made by the organization's naval forces. At the same time, a senior Iranian official told CNN that Tehran “decided to give priority” to ships that comply with the “new protocols” and pay for transit.
Iran had announced on Friday the reopening of the strait, a crucial route for global crude oil supplies and beyond, but on Saturday reimposed passage restrictions, citing “repeated breaches of trust” by the United States.
“In violation of the ceasefire agreement, the US enemy has not lifted the naval blockade targeting Iranian ships and ports. Therefore, starting tonight, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until this blockade is lifted,” the IRGC said.
The IRGC has urged ships and their owners to follow only updates from Iran and says the US president's statements “have no credibility”.
Iran's parliament speaker and Tehran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told state media that the US blockade against ships and air ports was an “ignorant and ill-considered decision”.
“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Ghalibaf said.
Iran says it will prioritize the passage of paying ships
A senior Iranian official told CNN on Saturday that Tehran will prioritize the passage of ships that pay to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
“Considering the limitation of the number of ships that will be allowed to pass, Iran has decided to give priority to those ships that respond more quickly to the new protocols on the Strait of Hormuz and pay the costs of safety and security services,” the official said.
He described the prioritization measure as part of Iran's efforts to manage maritime traffic “in light of the new order governing this strait.”
On Saturday, India summoned Iran's ambassador to convey its “deep concern” over what it described as a “serious incident” in which two Indian-flagged ships were attacked. TankerTrackers.com, a company that monitors oil shipments, noted that two Indian-flagged ships sailing through the strait had turned back, according to The New York Times.
A maritime watchdog run by the British Navy, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, said it had received information that an oil tanker had been attacked by two Iranian warships. Another ship, a container type, was hit by an “unknown projectile”, he said.
