Tehran: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy has warned ships operating near the Strait of Hormuz to avoid the strategic waterway, an audio recording of a maritime radio broadcast obtained by Xinhua shows.
The recorded message, supplied by a crew member on a commercial vessel, told all vessels in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman that the Strait of Hormuz was “completely closed” and that any movement within the channel would be met “decisively.” “For the sake of your health and safety, absolutely refrain from any movement in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice,” the broadcast said.
The warning came after US President Donald Trump said a peace deal with Iran would be signed on Sunday and that the strait would reopen immediately afterward.
Separately, the US military said late Friday that it had shot down several Iranian drones that were targeting commercial vessels in the area.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial global chokepoint for oil and gas; maritime traffic through the channel has fallen sharply amid escalating regional tensions and attacks on commercial shipping. The International Maritime Organization reported 46 incidents involving international shipping in and around the strait and the wider Middle East region up to June 11, with 14 confirmed seafarer deaths. The IMO this week strongly condemned an attack on a tanker that reportedly killed three seafarers; the US military later said it had carried out the strike.
(Inputs from IANS)