Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed 'until further notice'
BBC News 2026-07-11 23:14:18
Context: Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route, until further notice, in response to what it claims is US interference in the region. The closure comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US, following a series of attacks on commercial tankers and an exchange of strikes that resulted in 17 deaths and 115 injuries. The Iranian military has warned that any US aggression in response to the closure will be met with severity.
Key Facts
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, stating that it would remain closed "until the end of American interference in this region".
- The IRGC also warned that any US "aggression" in response to the closure would be responded to with "severity", and that new bases in the region would be targeted.
- Iranian state media reported that the IRGC had targeted another ship in the strait with a warning shot, after it turned off its systems and diverted from Iran's approved route.
- The incident follows a series of attacks on commercial tankers earlier in the week, which prompted an exchange of strikes with the US, resulting in 17 deaths and 115 injuries, according to Iranian officials.
- Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first public statement since taking leadership, called for revenge against those responsible for the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, and warned that vengeance was the "will of the nation".