Blockade threatens global energy market disruptions
On February 28th, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG), which came under airstrikes from the U.S. and Israel, blocked ship passage by sealing off the Strait of Hormuz.
Ebrahim Javadi, a commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated in an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV that “since the invasion of Iran, the Revolutionary Guard Corps has been implementing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz,” as reported by Tasnim News Agency.
Additionally, according to AFP, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that the Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned various ships that “due to the unstable situation in the strait resulting from military aggression by the U.S. and Israel and Iran’s response, it is currently unsafe to pass through the strait.”
Earlier, the European Union (EU) naval mission unit intercepted a radio transmission from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps stating “ships cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” as reported by Reuters, Times of Israel, and others. A source from the EU stated that vessels have been receiving Very High Frequency (VHF) transmissions with such content from the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) also announced that it has received numerous reports from ships operating in the Gulf region about messages blocking the Strait of Hormuz. The UKMTO explained that such communications have no legal binding force under international law unless they are legally enacted.
AFP reported that the U.S. advised commercial vessels to avoid the Gulf region following the attack on Iran that day.
The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s largest crude oil transport route and serves as an export passage for major oil-producing countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. It handles 20–30% of global maritime crude oil shipments.
The Iranian government has repeatedly threatened to block the strait whenever the U.S. and Israel pressure the country, but it has never actually carried out such an action.
If the strait is actually militarily blocked, the global shipping industry as well as the energy market would suffer massive impacts.
THE CHOSEN
