Tehran – Iran has clarified its stance on the increasingly volatile Strait of Hormuz, asserting that while the strategic waterway remains open to international shipping, a strict ban is now in effect for any “enemy ships”.
This announcement follows a dramatic escalation in rhetoric from US President Donald Trump, who recently issued a social media ultimatum threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s domestic power infrastructure if the passage were not fully and safely accessible within a 48-hour window.
The tension has already paralysed a significant portion of global trade, as the strait serves as the primary artery for approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies.
In a statement aimed at the global community, Ali Mousavi, Iran’s representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), noted that Tehran is prepared to cooperate with maritime authorities to maintain safety in the Gulf.
However, he emphasised that this cooperation is contingent on ships coordinating directly with the Iranian government to ensure they are not associated with “hostile countries”. According to Mousavi, the root cause of the current maritime crisis lies in recent military provocations by the United States and Israel, which he claims have forced Iran to take these protective measures to safeguard its territorial integrity.
Despite Iran’s claims that the passage is open to neutral parties, traffic through the narrow chokepoint has plummeted to record lows as shipping companies face skyrocketing insurance premiums and the literal threat of missile strikes.
The international community remains on high alert as the 48-hour deadline looms, with energy markets already reacting to the prospect of a total blockade or a wider infrastructure war.
While Mousavi reiterated that diplomacy remains Iran’s preferred path, he made it clear that “restoring trust” and a total “cessation of hostilities” are the only conditions under which normal transit will resume, leaving the global energy supply hanging in a delicate balance.
