Iran Says Hormuz Strait To Stay Shut Until US Ends ‘Aggression’

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States halts what it described as its “acts of aggression,” while warning that other regional oil and gas export routes serving US interests could also come under attack.

The latest development comes as fighting between the United States and Iran, which began in late February, continues to disrupt energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil and gas shipping routes.

According to statements broadcast by Iranian state television, IRIB, the Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for recent American strikes on Iranian territory.

“The enemy should know that now that its maritime raiders have blocked the Indian Ocean route for oil and gas exports to the world — thereby endangering the interests of America’s economic rivals — it should also expect the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies,” the statement said.

The Guards, however, did not specify which additional routes could be affected.

“Oil and gas exports from the region will either be available for everyone or for no one,” they added.

In another statement, the IRGC reaffirmed its position on the strategic waterway.

“The retaliatory operations of the fighters will continue, and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States ends its acts of aggression.”

US officials have consistently dismissed Iran’s claims that it controls navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that international shipping lanes remain open under international law.

The renewed escalation follows a series of military exchanges between Washington and Tehran. US forces launched fresh strikes on Iranian positions and reinstated a naval blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran responded by targeting American military installations in the Gulf region.

The attacks unfolded only hours after US President Donald Trump reversed his earlier proposal to impose a 20 percent levy on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a policy that had drawn widespread international attention amid fears of further disruption to global energy supplies.

Iran has maintained that it controls the strategic shipping corridor, which previously remained open to international navigation before the conflict reignited following US and Israeli military operations launched in late February.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards argued that the renewed American blockade had disrupted global oil and gas exports, including supplies destined for countries competing economically with the United States. They warned that routes benefiting Washington and its allies could face similar restrictions.

“Oil and gas exports from the region will either be available for everyone or for no one,” the Guards repeated.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the US decision to restore the blockade had effectively undermined the peace efforts initiated under last month’s Islamabad memorandum.

The conflict, now in its fifth day of renewed hostilities, has seen the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirm attacks on dozens of Iranian military sites near the Strait of Hormuz and other coastal locations.

According to CENTCOM, the strikes were aimed at weakening Iran’s capacity to threaten commercial shipping and civilian maritime operations.

Iranian state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and Bandar Imam Khomeini shortly after the attacks.

In response, air raid sirens sounded across Bahrain, while Kuwait and Jordan announced they had intercepted drones and missiles launched from Iran.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Iranian forces carried out a drone strike against a US military base in Jordan that hosts American aircraft, while the Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for attacks on US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

President Trump warned that American military operations could intensify if Iran refuses to return to negotiations.

“Next week it gets really bad for them,” he told Fox News.

Since the conflict escalated, Iran has repeatedly asserted its authority over the Strait of Hormuz, opening fire on vessels it claims travelled through unauthorised routes.

Those actions have prompted repeated retaliatory strikes by the United States, fuelling tensions that have already pushed global crude oil prices sharply higher.

“The retaliatory operations of the fighters will continue, and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States ends its acts of aggression,” the Revolutionary Guards reiterated.

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilian maritime traffic.

“Over the past week, Iran has intentionally targeted civilians across the region by attacking seven commercial ships, resulting in nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, missing, or injured.”

“US forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives,” he added.

A Norwegian oil tanker was reportedly damaged by an explosion caused by an unidentified device off Oman’s coast on Tuesday, while Kuwait confirmed that one of its naval vessels sustained damage during an Iranian missile and drone barrage that left four crew members injured.

Meanwhile, President Trump announced he had abandoned his proposed shipping levy for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, opting instead to pursue broader trade and investment agreements with Gulf states.

“I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

According to an AFP tally based on Iranian official statements and local media reports, renewed US military operations have resulted in at least 28 deaths in Iran since last week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned Tehran against launching attacks on Israel, promising a forceful response if Iran escalates the conflict.

Speaking from Dimona, the southern Israeli town widely believed to host the country’s undeclared nuclear facility, Netanyahu said: “Do not count on things remaining quiet if you attack us.”

“The days are over when someone strikes us, and we don’t hit back with a decisive blow.”

The continued confrontation between Iran and the United States has heightened fears of prolonged instability across the Middle East, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz remaining a major concern for global energy markets and international trade.