Iran's IRGC says Strait of Hormuz Cannot Reopen While US 'threats' Continue
CENTCOM says merchant ships are still moving through the strait as oil prices rise and Iran warns of harsh retaliation against countries helping the United States.
- On Thursday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared full control over the Strait of Hormuz, stating the waterway is 'our land' and cannot reopen while US 'threats' continue. The United States Central Command rejected this claim, maintaining the passage remains open for merchant shipping.
- The IRGC claimed two oil tankers turned back near Oman following a major fire on one vessel, describing the southern route as unsafe. CENTCOM countered that merchant vessels continue transiting under US protection, rejecting Iranian authority to dictate maritime traffic.
- Iran's naval strategy relies on 'swarm attack' tactics using small, high-speed boats, mines, and missiles to encircle the Strait, according to the IRGC-affiliated Hamshahri daily. These low-cost systems have struck more than thirty commercial vessels, undermining traditional US air superiority.
- The US State Department warned that Iran cannot hold international commerce hostage to finance its 'malign activities.' Separately, the US accused the IRGC of running coercive 'insurance' schemes that manufacture risks the regime itself creates.
- Brent oil prices jumped 1.5% to above $92 per barrel on Thursday, reflecting global anxiety over the volatile shipping lane. Former IRGC navy commander Brigadier General Hossein Alaei recently joined calls for peace, arguing that war harms the Iranian people.
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The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council said: "The continued US incitement will further tighten the lock on the Strait of Hormuz."
(New York = Yonhap News) Correspondent Lee Ji-heon = International oil prices rose on the 31st (local time) following news that Iran attacked two oil tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran does not have control over it. Thousands of ships have taken this international waterway over the past four months," says the US military command for the Middle East, on X.
Channel News Asia
Oil price rises after Iran says it stops ships in Hormuz
CAIRO/DUBAI, July 31 : Oil prices rose on Friday after Iran said it had stopped two vessels seeking to exit the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring concerns over global energy supplies following a drone attack on ships in a Mediterranean Egyptian port this week.Iran said four other tankers turned back after its fo
Drone Hangars, Fuel Depot Destroyed at US Base in Kuwait: IRGC
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it destroyed two drone hangars and an aircraft fuel storage facility at the US-operated Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait. Addressing the people of Kuwait on Friday, the IRGC stated that its military strikes will continue until US forces are completely driven out of the region. World News | Drone Hangars, Fuel Depot Destroyed at US Base in Kuwait: IRGC.
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