Iran prepares to close the Strait of Hormuz hours after US warplanes bombed nuclear facilities
A member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee said on Sunday that the Revolutionary Guards are prepared to close the Strait of Hormuz, while US Vice President J.D. Vance was reported to have said that “Iran’s disruption of shipping in the strait would be suicidal for it”.
Reports today indicated that the Iranian parliament has approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and that the decision is subject to the approval of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council… A member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee also stated that the Revolutionary Guards are prepared to close the strait “if necessary and circumstances require it”.
NBC News quoted US Vice President J.D. Vance as saying that disrupting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would be “suicide” for Iran, noting that Washington received indirect messages from the Iranians in the hours following the US strike.
Deputy Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Esmail Kowsari, told the Young Journalists Club today that closing the strait was on the table and “a decision will be made if necessary”.
Press reports today quoted Sara Fallahi, a member of the parliament’s security committee, as saying that the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz will also be on the agenda of a special session of the parliamentary committee.
While no specific date has been set for the closure, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz within hours.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow shipping lane in the Gulf region, constituting the outlet for its oil to the outside world. It is known as the lifeline of the industrialized world, and two-thirds of the world’s oil production passes through it.
An Iranian parliament member previously stated in mid-month that his country was seriously considering closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz, in light of the increasingly violent confrontation with Israel, which has now entered its tenth day.
These developments today come hours after US warplanes bombed nuclear facilities, including the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo.
Iranian sources said today that the Iranian parliament will also consider withdrawing the country from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, following the US strikes on nuclear facilities.
Early Sunday morning, the United States entered the Israeli war on Iran directly, with President Donald Trump announcing an attack targeting three of Iran’s most prominent nuclear sites: the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities.
Hours later, Iran launched two barrages of missiles at Israel, causing extensive damage to several locations in Greater Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Ness Ziona, south of Tel Aviv.
