Iran has threatened to block access to the Red Sea if the United States maintains its naval blockade of Iranian ports, warning that such actions could amount to a breach of the ceasefire in force since 8 April.
General Ali Abdollahi, head of the command of Iran’s armed forces, said that if Washington continues its blockade and “creates insecurity for Iranian commercial vessels and tankers”, this would be “a prelude” to violating the truce.
“The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic will not allow any exports or imports in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea,” he said in a statement carried by Iranian media.
Although Iran has no coastline on the Red Sea, it could rely on its allies in Yemen, the Houthis, who have previously threatened attacks on shipping in the area, where they exert influence from mountainous areas under their control.
Blockade
The US military announced on Sunday that it had imposed a blockade on vessels of all nationalities entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal zones.
For its part, Tehran has restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of war on 28 February, following a US-Israeli attack on Iran.
However, some ships departing Iranian ports were reported to have transited the strait yesterday, according to data from vessel tracking websites.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, citing unnamed sources, reported that departures from Iranian ports are continuing despite the blockade.
“Commercial vessels have sailed towards multiple regions of the world” over the past 24 hours, the same sources said.
CNA