The IRGC claims complete control of the Strait of Hormuz as tensions rise with the US. Discover how this naval blockade impacts global oil shipping and security.
About a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed amid fighting that has disrupted shipping and drawn urgent international news attention.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it is in full control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime chokepoint. The IRGC is a branch of Iran’s armed forces responsible for security and strategic operations across the region.
“Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic’s Navy,” IRGC Navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh said on Wednesday in a statement carried by Iran’s Fars news agency.
In Washington, the United States president has said he is prepared to deploy the U.S. navy to escort tankers through the strait, underscoring rising tensions between U.S. leadership and the revolutionary guard over control of the waterway.
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil transits the narrow Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global crude and oil exports.
Reuters reported that in a rare movement, an oil tanker sailed through the Strait of Hormuz en route to a United Arab Emirates port to load crude, underscoring that some shipping activity continues despite the disruption.
The vessel named Pola reportedly switched off its AIS tracker late on Monday as it approached the strait and reappeared on Tuesday off Abu Dhabi, according to sources and ship-tracking data cited by Reuters. Ships sometimes disable AIS for security reasons, but the move raises concern among shipping firms and regulators about tracking vessels and protecting crews.
The US-Israeli war on Iran has disrupted the global supply chain: shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz is effectively halted and several airlines have grounded flights after airspace restrictions across parts of the Middle East.
Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said the IRGC stated it was “impossible for any ships to pass through” and reported that more than 10 oil tankers had been targeted — a claim that, if confirmed, would signal a serious escalation in attacks on commercial traffic.
Clarksons Research, which tracks global shipping, estimates about 3,200 ships — roughly 4 percent of global ship tonnage — are idle in the Gulf, though that total includes some 1,230 vessels that typically operate only within the region, The Associated Press reported. The pause in maritime traffic raises immediate security and market risks for crude and gas exports and adds to mounting tensions across the region.
What this means: confirmed IRGC statements and ship-tracking reports point to an immediate disruption of oil flows and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with potential consequences for oil exports and global markets. Agencies including Reuters, The Associated Press and Al Jazeera are providing live updates; check the linked liveblog and wire reports for the latest news and developments. We will update this report as agencies and official sources publish new information in the coming days.
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