The Iranian military declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to burn any ships that attempt to pass through, in retaliation for attacks by the United States and Israel that killed the Supreme Leader and dozens of other senior leaders.
On 2 Mar 2026 GMT+7, the Times of Israel reported that the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important sea routes for transporting goods and crude oil.
The IRGC warned that they would burn any ship trying to navigate the strait. "The strait is closed, and anyone wishing to pass will have our IRGC naval heroes and the military set fire to those vessels. Stay away from this region," said IRGC spokesperson General Ibrahim Jabbari.
General Jabbari also said that the Americans are "hungry for oil in this region," and that Iran will "attack their oil pipelines in the area and will not allow oil exports from this zone."
This latest move by Iran follows the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, their Supreme Leader, in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike, prompting Iran to vow revenge.
Iran has long threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if attacked by the U.S., but has never done so before. However, if Iran follows through on this latest declaration, the closure would affect about 20% of global oil shipments and cause crude oil prices to soar rapidly.
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Source:Times of Israel