Iran’s IRGC Declares Strait Of Hormuz Closed, Warns It Will Set Ships Ablaze If They Attempt Transit

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the key oil shipping lane will be attacked.

The statement was made on Monday, March 2, 2026, and reported by Iranian state media.

The threat follows joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, sharply escalating tensions across West Asia.

According to Iranian state media, Brigadier General Sardar Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the strait is closed and that Iranian forces would set ships ablaze if they attempted to cross.

The strait lies between Iran and Oman and connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, it is about 33 kilometres (21 miles) wide.

Despite its limited width, it handles one of the highest concentrations of oil tanker traffic in the world.

Iranian officials also stated that oil pipelines could be targeted and warned that no oil would be allowed to leave the region. One statement carried by Iranian media suggested oil prices could rise sharply in the coming days.

The Strait of Hormuz is considered the world’s most critical oil transit route. Roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass through the channel daily.

Major Gulf producers including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates rely heavily on this maritime corridor for crude exports.

Most shipments through the strait are destined for Asian markets, particularly China. Any sustained disruption could directly affect refining operations, freight rates, and bunker fuel prices worldwide.

Natural gas prices surged by nearly 50% in Europe and close to 40% in Asia after QatarEnergy reportedly halted liquefied natural gas production following attacks on LNG facilities. Oil prices also rose amid uncertainty over tanker traffic and potential production losses.

Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery, which has a refining capacity of more than 500,000 barrels per day, was reportedly targeted by drones, although air defence systems intercepted the incoming aircraft.

US officials stated that measures would be introduced to mitigate rising energy prices resulting from the conflict.

Global shipping had already been facing disruption in recent years due to drone and missile attacks linked to Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants targeting vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since 2023.

The renewed threat to the Strait of Hormuz significantly increases risk exposure for tanker operators, charterers and marine insurers. War risk premiums are expected to rise if the security situation deteriorates further.

References: Reuters, Aljazeera