Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reiterating the Islamic Republic’s stance on Wednesday said that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to all commercial traffic, claiming that two vessels attempting to transit the waterway without coordinating with Iranian authorities were intercepted and forced to stop after warning shots were fired.
According to the report, the ships were trying to pass through the strait “illegally” by failing to obtain Iranian approval.
The state media further claimed that all vessels in the area were stationary at anchorages in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, with no ships actively moving toward the strategic waterway.
The statement directly contradicts the repeated assertions made by US President Donald Trump, who said on Tuesday, while announcing the resumption of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels, that the critical Strait of Hormuz “is open to ALL Ship traffic except for Iran.”
While the strait remains technically operational, Washington and Tehran continue to disagree strongly whether the waterway is actually open or closed, as maritime traffic through the waterway – despite the US assurances of providing security via the alternate route close to Oman – has effectively fallen down to a near zero as a result of Iranian threats and attacks on commercial shipping.
Recently, almost no vessels have been found transiting the strait with their location transponders switched on, though some have made the passage previously without broadcasting their locations.
There was no immediate independent confirmation on Wednesday of any new attacks against commercial vessels.
However, Iran has targeted at least four ships since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June, leading only to a mounting rise in uncertainty among shipping firms in traversing the vital waterway.
