Iran says Hormuz Strait to close until US lifts naval blockade

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed from the afternoon until the United States lifts its naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports.

In a statement carried by state-run Press TV, the IRGC Navy said remarks by US President Donald Trump regarding the strait “have no credibility.”

It said that following Iran’s earlier announcement allowing civilian vessels to transit the waterway, several ships passed through “with the coordination of the IRGC Navy.”

“However, in violation of the ceasefire agreement, the American enemy has not lifted the naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports, so the Strait of Hormuz will be closed from this afternoon until the blockade is lifted,” the statement said.

The IRGC warned that “no vessel of any kind should move from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman,” adding that approaching the strait would be considered “cooperation with the enemy.”

It also warned that any vessel violating the directive “will be targeted.”

There was no immediate comment from US officials on the statement.