KABUL (Pajhwok): Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said it maintains full control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, after Donald Trump indicated that the US Navy could be deployed to escort tankers through the vital waterway amid escalating regional tensions.
“Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic’s Navy,” IRGC Navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh said in a statement carried by Iran’s Fars news agency.
Al Jazeera quoted its Tehran correspondent as reporting that the IRGC claimed it was “impossible for any ships to pass through,” and that more than 10 oil tankers had been targeted.
According to Clarksons Research, which tracks shipping data, around 3,200 ships—approximately 4 percent of global ship tonnage—are currently idle in the Gulf. This figure includes roughly 1,230 vessels that operate solely within the Gulf. Additionally, about 500 ships, representing 1 percent of global tonnage, are “waiting” outside the Gulf in ports along the coasts of the UAE and Oman, The Associated Press reported.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, stated that the US Navy would begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible.”
He added, “No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD. The United States’ ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH — More actions to come.”
sa
GET IN TOUCH
NEWSLETTER
SUGGEST A STORY
PAJHWOK MOBILE APP