Iranian boats fire on commercial vessels in Strait of Hormuz, Tehran announces strait closure
via Egypt Today1 min read
On Saturday, at least two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz were forced to turn back after Iranian boats opened fire, according to shipping and maritime security sources. Britain's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations UKMTO center reported that two gunboats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired on a tanker. The vessel and its crew were reported safe. These incidents occurred hours after Iran announced it is closing the strait for shipping traffic again, citing a U.S. blockade targeting Iranian shipping and ports. Tehran has largely controlled access to the strait throughout the war, which began on February 28 and is currently under a ceasefire expiring on April 21, allowing passage only for authorized vessels. This renewed restriction reverses a previous statement by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who had said the strait would remain open following a 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon.
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