Iran shuts Hormuz strait: But wasn’t it already closed?

Iran has announced that the Strait of Hormuz has been completely closed to all oil tankers and commercial ships in response to recent US strikes on the country, and stated any vessel ‌attempting to pass would be shot ⁠at.

The strait is one of the world’s most important maritime routes, as it is the only route to the open sea for oil producers in the Gulf. In peacetime, 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) is shipped through it.

Following the first US-Israel strikes on Tehran on February 28, Iran closed the passage to shipping traffic. The waterway remains Iran’s most significant leverage in ongoing peace negotiations with the United States.

Since then, Iran has, at times, allowed some ships to pass – in some cases, reportedly charging tolls as high as $2m per ship to pass.

So why has Iran announced the full closure of the Strait of Hormuz once again, now?

Iran’s military ordered the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz early on Thursday in response to US strikes on the country, which have continued for several days this week. The US responded by saying some ships were still getting through.

On Tuesday, Iranian media reported explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas and on the nearby island of Qeshm and said water reservoirs supplying 20,000 people had also been destroyed in US strikes on Iran’s southern Sirik region.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) described the strikes as “self-defense”.