Iran shuts down Strait of Hormuz; warns of setting on fire any ship that passes through

TEHRAN: Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz as tensions between the US-Israeli alliance and Iran escalate. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that it will set on fire any ship trying to pass through the waterway.

The closure was announced by Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the commander-in-chief of the IRGC. The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Jabari warned that members of the Revolutionary Guards and the Navy would set fire to ships if anyone tried to pass through. Meantime, the US Central Command has rejected Iran's claim and said the Strait of Hormuz is open.

The Strait of Hormuz is a waterway that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and from there to global sea lanes. It is a narrow, winding waterway about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide. Although Iran and Oman control the regional waterways through the route, Hormuz is widely recognized as an international waterway through which commercial ships have the right to navigate. Oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran pass through Hormuz. Most of the oil reaches Asia. Hormuz is a hub for global trade. In addition to oil and gas, silk, ceramics, and textiles are also transported through the strait.