ISTANBUL, April 18 — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said in a Saturday statement that the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its “previous state” under the control of its “armed forces,” citing the ongoing US blockade on Iranian ports.
“Control over the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is under the strict management and control of the armed forces,” the IRGC joint command said, Anadolu Ajansi reported, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Until the US “restores full freedom of movement for vessels traveling to and from Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled and unchanged,” it argued.
The IRGC statement came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday declared the strait “completely open” for all commercial vessels.
The decision was made “in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon,” he said on the X platform.
On Feb 28, the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran, and Tehran retaliated with strikes on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.
The war has been on hold since April 8, when Pakistan mediated a two-week ceasefire.
Washington and Tehran held talks in Pakistan last weekend towards a lasting peace, and efforts for another session in Islamabad are underway.
