The United States Central Command rejected Tehran’s assertion that the strait of Hormuz is closed, maintaining that commercial traffic continues through the vital corridor that carries nearly a fifth of global oil supplies.
BY PC Bureau
March 3: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Monday local time that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed to shipping and warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the vital waterway would be set ablaze, according to Iranian state media.
The statement represents one of the most serious geopolitical escalations in the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Brigadier General Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards’ commander-in-chief, declared the closure. “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 on fire,” he said.
The announcement came just days after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was reportedly killed in a joint US-Israeli strike—an घटना that has dramatically heightened tensions across the Middle East. However, the United States Central Command disputed the claim, stating that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, according to Reuters citing Fox News.
As one of the most important oil export routes in the world, the Strait of Hormuz has drawn intense attention since Iran reportedly claimed that no ships would be allowed to pass through on Saturday. A Chinese military affairs expert told the Global Times that Iran’s ability to… pic.twitter.com/6jgN56Yi4s
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) March 2, 2026
The Strait of Hormuz forms the narrow entrance to the Persian Gulf, serving as a critical transit route for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Tankers passing through the strait—bordered to the north by Iran—transport oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran, with much of it destined for Asian markets.
Any disruption in traffic through the Strait would have major consequences for global energy trade.
READ: Qatar Halts LNG Production After Iranian Drone Strikes; Global Gas Prices Surge
A Crucial Global Energy Corridor
At its narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz is about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and onward to major international shipping lanes. Although Iran and Oman control territorial waters along the passage, it is widely recognized as an international waterway where commercial vessels have transit rights.
The United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, lies just outside the strait. Historically a key trade route linking Asia with other regions, the channel today is indispensable for energy exports. Supertankers regularly carry oil and liquefied natural gas from major Gulf producers—including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and Iran—to global markets, especially in Asia and China.
While Saudi Arabia and the UAE operate limited pipeline routes that bypass the strait, the US Energy Information Administration has previously noted that most energy exports passing through Hormuz lack viable alternative routes out of the region.
Iran temporarily restricted movement in parts of the strait during military exercises in February, a move that drove oil prices up by about 6 percent in subsequent days. Though Tehran has repeatedly threatened to close the waterway during periods of heightened tensions, it has not fully shut it since the 1980s “Tanker War,” when both Iran and Iraq targeted commercial vessels and deployed naval mines.
Rising Casualties in Iran-US-Israel Conflict
The rapidly intensifying confrontation between Iran and its regional adversaries, Israel and the United States, has reportedly claimed at least 500 lives, including six American service members.
In response to coordinated US-Israeli strikes, Iran has launched multiple missile barrages at Gulf states hosting US military bases, including Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Tehran has also reportedly fired missiles toward the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, further escalating instability across the region.
