Iran again denies reports of closing Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN -- Iran said on Friday that it has no plan to close the Strait of Hormuz and denied reports claiming that the country has fully blocked the strategic waterway.

According to a report by Iran's Tasnim News Agency, a senior officer of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in an interview with state TV that claims by some media outlets that Iran had closed the Hormuz strait were inaccurate.

"We have been accused by some of closing the strait, but in fact Iran has not shut down this waterway," the officer said, adding that Iran would handle shipping in the area in accordance with international navigation rules.

Iran's state TV quoted a military source as saying on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz remained open, but warned that any vessels belonging to the United States or Israel would be considered military targets.

Also on Friday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told an international conference in New Delhi, India, that Iran had not closed the Strait of Hormuz and had no immediate plan to do so.

"If Iran decides to close the strait, it will make an official announcement," he said.

On Saturday, the IRGC said in a statement that it struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz using a drone.

The tanker, with the trade name Prima, was hit by a drone after ignoring repeated warnings from the IRGC naval forces regarding the prohibition of traffic and the insecurity of the Strait of Hormuz, said the statement carried by Tasnim news agency.

On Thursday, several Iranian media outlets quoted an Iranian military officer as saying that Iran had not closed the Hormuz strait. The officer said Iran treats transiting vessels in accordance with international agreements and only intercepts warships disguised as commercial vessels.

But the IRGC reiterated that in times of war, Iran has the right to control navigation through the strait and that vessels belonging to the United States, Israel and European countries were prohibited from passing through it.