MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Revolutionary Guard say Strait of Hormuz is “closed”

The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf to the Arabian Sea and is critical for global energy exports

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Monday the Strait of Hormuz is now “closed” and threatened to attack any vessel attempting to transit, in the most explicit warning yet against the Gulf’s main maritime chokepoint. A Guards commander said they would set any ship “ablaze” if it tried to pass, according to remarks carried by Reuters.

The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf to the Arabian Sea and is critical for global energy exports. The threat came amid mounting disruption to shipping, following a string of security incidents and reported attacks on vessels in the area over recent days.

Brent crude climbed by about 10% in early trading, briefly pushing above $82 a barrel before paring gains. European gas prices also surged, while gold advanced as investors moved away from risk assets.

In the United States, President Donald Trump said the “big wave” of the Iran offensive has “not yet arrived” and that, while the initial plan envisioned “four to five weeks,” Washington has the “capability” to go much longer. The comments were reported by media and cited by Reuters.

The escalation has also widened on the Lebanon front. Israel’s military announced fresh strikes on Hezbollah targets after cross-border fire attributed to the group. In a heavy round of attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs and other areas, at least 52 people were killed and more than 150 wounded, according to figures reported by Reuters.

Meanwhile, a drone hit Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus —a British sovereign base area on the territory of an EU member state— causing limited damage and no casualties, UK officials said. The incident followed Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to allow the United States to use British bases for “defensive” action targeting Iranian missile infrastructure.

Diplomatic tensions inside Europe also sharpened. Spain reiterated it would not allow the U.S. to use the jointly operated bases of Rota and Morón for attacks on Iran, and multiple U.S. aircraft subsequently departed the facilities, according to Reuters. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticised what he described as Tehran’s public thanks to Spain’s government, writing on X that it raised questions about whether Madrid was “on the right side of history.”

Iran’s Red Crescent said at least 555 people have been killed in Iran since the weekend strikes began.