Iran’s top joint military command announced a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz effective Thursday, covering both oil tankers and commercial shipping, and warned that “any vessel that will attempt passage will be shot at.”
The declaration marks the first publicly confirmed full closure order from Tehran during the current US-Iran confrontation. Earlier closures during the war were partial or focused on selective passage rights; the new order extends to all vessels regardless of flag or cargo. The Strait carries roughly one-third of all seaborne crude and a large share of global LNG, making any sustained closure an immediate shock to fuel markets.
The announcement followed fresh overnight US Central Command strikes on multiple Iranian targets carried out hours after President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran “very hard” if no peace settlement is reached. The two events together cap an escalation cycle that began with the US Apache helicopter retaliation strikes and the downing of a US Apache over Hormuz earlier in the week.
The shoot-on-sight warning raises immediate questions for Sri Lanka’s fuel supply chain. The country imports virtually all its crude and refined product through Hormuz-routed shipping, and previous partial closures during this cycle have driven crude prices above $90 a barrel. Insurance premiums on Hormuz transits had already surged after earlier Iranian seizures and gunfire incidents.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency, which carried the military order, said the closure applies to all vessels regardless of flag or cargo. The report has not been independently verified by international shipping authorities. No third-country shipping or maritime regulator response had been issued at the time of the announcement.
Sources: Ada Derana, Newswire.
