Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Friday that ships traveling to or departing from ports belonging to countries it described as allies and supporters of the United States and Israel would not be allowed to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC Public Relations Department said in a statement carried by Iran’s Mehr News agency that ships traveling “to and from” ports of countries it described as allies and supporters of the “Zionist-American enemies” would no longer be permitted to cross the Strait of Hormuz, regardless of their destination or the shipping corridor used.
The IRGC said three container ships of different nationalities attempted Friday morning to enter the designated corridor used by licensed commercial vessels following what the statement called “the lies of the corrupt U.S. president that the Strait of Hormuz is open.”
The vessels “were forced to return after being warned by the IRGC Navy,” according to the statement, which added that “any navigation in the strait will face severe consequences.”
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The IRGC announcement came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio told counterparts at a Group of Seven meeting in France that the conflict with Iran is expected to continue for “weeks, not months.” According to officials familiar with the discussions, Rubio said that “the war would not last too long” and “it’s a matter of weeks,” adding that “the US has achieved a lot of their military goals.”
He described any Iranian effort to block traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as “illegal,” “unacceptable,” and “dangerous to the world,” warning that ensuring freedom of navigation would likely become an “immediate challenge” even after the current phase of fighting ends.
Iranian media reported Thursday that Iran’s parliament was considering legislation requiring ships to pay tolls to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Paris shared the United States’s goal of “restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz” and said an escort system for tankers could be established once “the peak of hostilities in the region is over.”
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