Iran Shells Commercial Ship, Closes Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a commercial cargo ship attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz overnight Saturday, after which Iranian authorities announced the closure of the strait.
In the early hours of Sunday, July 12, forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on a commercial cargo vessel that was trying to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Axios correspondent Barak Ravid and Reuters, citing officials.
A US official confirmed that the ship was hit by a missile strike and sustained damage. Iranian state media, quoting the IRGC navy, claimed the vessel had ignored navigation instructions and attempted to cross via an unauthorized route.
Following the incident, Iranian authorities declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all traffic until further notice.
Background
On Friday, July 10, the administration of US President set a strict deadline for Iran to restore safe navigation in the strait. Washington demanded that Tehran publicly announce the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by the end of Saturday, July 11. The United States also insisted that Iran formally commit to ceasing attacks on commercial vessels in the region.
