TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that its navy has turned back three container ships attempting to pass through the strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
The IRGC said the ships of “different nationalities” tried to move into a designated corridor for licensed traffic, but were warned off and forced to withdraw. It said the strait is “closed” and that any movement in the waterway will face “severe action”.
The IRGC also declared that the movement of any ship sailing to or from ports of countries allied with what it calls its “Zionist-American enemies” — to any destination and from any corridor — is prohibited.
The statement follows Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi’s comments on state TV on 25 March, when he said the strait remains open except to Iran’s “enemies”. Araqchi said Iran has allowed passage for vessels from “friendly countries, including China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan”.
