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Iran declares Strait of Hormuz closed as IRGC threatens oil tankers

Al-Monitor Staff
Al-Monitor Staff
Mar 2, 2026
A navy vessel is seen sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world's oil and gas passes on March 1, 2026. Two ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on March 1, maritime security agencies said, as Iran pressed a second day of strikes in response to US-Israeli military strikes on Iran killing it's supreme leader. (Photo by Sahar AL ATTAR / AFP via Getty Images)
A navy vessel is seen sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world's oil and gas passes on March 1, 2026. Two ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on March 1, maritime security agencies said, as Iran pressed a second day of strikes in response to US-Israeli military strikes on Iran killing it's supreme leader. (Photo by Sahar Al Attar/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened Monday that any ship attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz would be set ablaze by Iranian forces and warned that it would seek to block oil exports from the region.

In an appearance on Iranian TV, IRGC adviser Brig. Gen. Sardar Ebrahim Jabbari declared the strategic waterway "closed" and said the IRGC Navy and the Iranian Army "will set those ships on fire," referring to vessels attempting to transit the strait.

Roughly 20% of global oil supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Monday that operations against Iran were running “ahead of our time projections,” adding, “We projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that.”

The death toll in Iran has climbed above 550, according to local authorities, amid more than two days of US and Israeli air and missile strikes. US Central Command said Monday that six American service members were killed in Iran’s initial counterattack.

Also Monday, three US F-15E Strike Eagles were brought down over Kuwait in what the Pentagon described as an apparent friendly-fire incident. All six aircrew members ejected safely and were recovered.

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