Iran says “illegal” routes in Strait of Hormuz will soon be closed

Transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz deemed illegal by Iran will soon be closed, an adviser to the Revolutionary Guards’ Commander told the semi-official Fars News Agency on Wednesday, according to Reuters. He was referring to the southern pathway hugging Oman’s coast. The adviser, Mohammadreza Naqdi, said these “few routes” had been created by blasting and damaging some of the rocky passages in the waterway and were used by “small boats smuggling oil and transferring it to tankers.”

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have full control over it. This situation will continue until Iran’s legitimate demands are met,” he added.

Provisional data from Kpler showed a seven-day moving average for crude exports from the region was 18.3 million barrels per day on September 30, with volumes topping pre-war levels on 14 days in September. The IRGC has consistently denied seaborne crude flows are rebounding with US Navy help.