‘Will Set It Ablaze…’: Iran Vows To Attack Any Ship Trying To Pass Through Strait Of Hormuz

Last Updated:March 03, 2026, 07:20 IST

A senior official of Iran’s IRGC said the country would use force to block traffic through the strait, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.

Amid mounting West Asia tensions, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday (local time) said that the Strait of Hormuz is “closed" for shipping traffic and warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the strategic waterway would be attacked.

A senior official of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the country would use force to block traffic through the strait, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.

“The strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze," Brigadier General Sardar Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards commander-in-chief, was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.

The declaration came days after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike, an event that has sharply escalated tensions across the Middle East. In response, Iran fired several barrages of missiles at its Gulf neighbours hosting US military bases such as Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Tehran also fired missiles at the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

The Strait of Hormuz, bordered by Iran to the north and Oman to the south, is a narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, it is about 33 kilometres (21 miles) wide. Roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil consumption passes through the channel, making it the most vital oil export route globally.

The threat to Hormuz has raised fears in global energy markets, with analysts warning that any sustained disruption could choke oil supplies and drive crude prices sharply higher. Most oil shipped through the strait is destined for Asian markets, particularly China.

However, US Central Command said the Strait of Hormuz remains open, disputing claims by Iranian officials that the crucial oil shipping route has been shut, news agency Reuters reported, citing Fox News.

Iran has previously threatened to block the passage during periods of heightened tension but has not completely sealed it since the 1980s “Tanker War," when both Iran and Iraq targeted commercial vessels.

(With inputs from agencies)

News world ‘Will Set It Ablaze…’: Iran Vows To Attack Any Ship Trying To Pass Through Strait Of Hormuz

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