A senior adviser to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and warned that vessels attempting to transit the waterway will be attacked, according to Iranian state media.
Ebrahim Jabari, described as a senior adviser to the IRGC’s commander-in-chief, made the remarks on Monday amid escalating regional tensions.
“The strait is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guard and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze,” Jabari said.
Energy Infrastructure in the Crosshairs
The statement comes as Tehran intensifies retaliation following what it describes as an Israeli and US bombing campaign that began Saturday and reportedly killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials.
In additional comments posted to the IRGC’s Telegram channel, Jabari expanded the threat to include regional energy infrastructure.
“We will also attack oil pipelines and will not allow a single drop of oil to leave the region. Oil price will reach $200 in the coming days,” Jabbari said.
He was also quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency as stating:
“The Americans, with debts of thousands of billions of dollars, are dependent on the region’s oil, but they should know that not even a drop of oil will reach them,”
Global Market Implications
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime chokepoints, through which a significant share of global oil shipments passes. Any disruption to traffic through the narrow waterway would likely have immediate repercussions for global energy markets and shipping security.
There has been no independent confirmation that the strait has been physically blocked, and international maritime authorities have not announced a formal closure. Analysts note that threats to Hormuz historically trigger volatility in oil prices and heighten naval deployments in the Gulf.
The situation remains fluid as regional tensions continue to escalate.