Iran war live: Tehran vows to ‘completely close’ Hormuz if power plants hit

Iran Hormuz closure threat: Tehran warns of strait shutdown if energy sites bombed

By Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

Tehran pledged to seal the strategic Strait of Hormuz if attacks target Iranian power plants, officials announced on Wednesday.

The warning followed reported Israeli strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure, according to state media.

About one-fifth of global oil supplies pass through the 39-km wide channel. Any interruption would jolt world energy markets and shipping insurers.

Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, deputy army chief for coordination, told state television that “if our power plants are hit, we will completely close Hormuz.” He spoke hours after explosions were reported near the Natanz uranium site and a gas pipeline in southern Fars province.

The admiral said the Revolutionary Guards Navy had deployed speedboats, anti-ship missiles and aerial drones along the waterway. Shipping trackers recorded at least 17 tankers anchored outside the strait by mid-afternoon, according to data firm TankerTrackers.

Oil prices surged 4.2 percent to $76.88 per barrel within 30 minutes of the threat, exchange data showed. Brent crude futures later eased to $75.40 as traders waited for official shipping notices.

Washington called the rhetoric “unacceptable escalation,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. He said the United States would keep warships in the region to protect commercial traffic.

The Pentagon confirmed the carrier USS Eisenhower and two destroyers remained in the Gulf of Oman. A spokesman, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, said U.S. forces had not changed posture but were “prepared for contingencies.”

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged restraint in a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the EU said in a read-out. Borrell warned that any interference with freedom of navigation violates international law.

Japan, which imports 94 percent of its oil through Hormuz, activated an emergency task force, Trade Ministry official Kenji Yamada announced. India asked its refiners to diversify supply sources, according to two government officials who requested anonymity.

Iran previously threatened Hormuz closure during 2019 tensions after U.S. sanctions. It seized several tankers that year, prompting Britain and Bahrain to launch a maritime security mission.

The latest warning came after Israeli jets struck targets inside Syria and Iran overnight, according to Israeli radio. Tehran did not confirm Israeli involvement in the reported hits on its territory, and Israeli military declined comment when asked.

Israel has pledged to retaliate for an Iranian missile barrage on April 13, which caused light damage to an airbase. Iran said the salvo was itself a response to a deadly Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus.

Background

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea guarantees transit passage through straits used for international navigation. Iran and Oman share sovereignty over the Hormuz entrance, but Tehran disputes outside military presence.

Western sanctions on Iranian oil since 2018 have cut Tehran’s crude exports to roughly 1.5 million barrels per day from a peak of 2.8 million. Shipping analysts say Iran often relies on covert tanker fleets to move cargoes.

What’s Next

The International Maritime Organization convenes a closed session in London on Friday to discuss safe transit, a spokesman said. U.S. naval officials expect Iran to lay additional sea mines if tensions persist, according to an internal briefing note seen by GlobalBeat.

Energy traders will watch the daily tally of tankers transiting Hormuz, while insurers review war-risk premiums that already jumped 15 percent since mid-April. Diplomats said Washington and Brussels were preparing a joint statement warning Iran against disrupting commercial shipping.