Iran denies blocking Strait of Hormuz after US, Israel attacks
“No ship is allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following the attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran,” announced the Iranian news agency Tasnim on Saturday, February 28th, emphasizing that the Revolutionary Guards were sending repeated messages to boats wishing to enter.
Iran regularly threatens to “close” this maritime corridor, with navigable channels of 3 kilometers in each direction, through which about 20% of the world’s oil passes. In other words, the majority of production from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Iran itself.
Ten days before the war began, Iran had already described the “suspension of traffic” due to maritime maneuvers, as reported by the same Iranian news agency Tasnim.
In reality, “Iran has not formally confirmed the blockage,” The Guardian points out. The strait has never been completely closed, not even during the eight years of war between Iraq and Iran (1980-1988). This is because Iran also relies on this maritime passage for its own oil exports, including to its Chinese ally.
