Iran's IRGC navy says Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said Sunday the Strait of Hormuz is closed “until further notice” after they fired warning shots at a vessel they said used an unauthorised route, state media reported.

The move threatens to further complicate efforts to salvage US-Iran negotiations after both sides exchanged strikes over the past few days and traded threats.

News outlets Axios and Politico reported that Washington had given Tehran until Saturday to stop firing on commercial ships transiting Hormuz and formally acknowledge that the waterway is open.

A key roadblock to a final agreement is the future of the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran insisting it will control shipping through the waterway and Washington demanding unrestricted navigation.

The Guards said the vessel was “hit by warning shots and stopped” after ignoring repeated instructions to use an approved shipping corridor, according to a statement carried by state news agency IRNA on Sunday.

“Following this incident… the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region and no vessels will be allowed to pass through,” the Guards said.

The IRGC also said they would target “new enemy bases in the region” if new military action was carried out against them.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

Read more: US launches more strikes on Iran

Around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade normally passes through the waterway, making any disruption a major concern for energy markets.

Iran closed the strait to commercial shipping during its war with the United States and Israel, contributing to sharp rises in oil prices and disrupting maritime traffic across the region.

Iran insists it has the right to regulate passage through the strait and has announced plans to charge fees for vessels using the route.

Iranian officials have repeatedly said there will be no return to the pre-war system of unrestricted navigation.

The United States has rejected that position and maintains that commercial shipping must be able to move freely through the waterway.

Under customary international law, countries are generally not permitted to impose tolls on straits used for international navigation.