Iran is preparing to fully shut down the vital Strait of Hormuz following U.S. airstrikes on three of its nuclear facilities, carried out early this morning (Pakistan Standard Time), a move Tehran deems illegal.
While President Donald Trump claimed the attacks destroyed the sites, various reports indicate the underground facilities remain intact, though official assessments are expected later in the day.
Before the strikes, Iranian lawmakers had warned via state media that Tehran would close both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea if the U.S. aligned itself with Israel’s military campaign.
“Iran has numerous options to respond to its enemies and uses such options based on what the situation is,” stated a member of Iran’s National Security Committee, as quoted by international media.
In support of Iran, Yemen is also expected to resume targeting U.S. aircraft carriers and vessels headed toward Israel in the Red Sea.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Oman and Iran, is a critical waterway through which major oil exporters like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, and Kuwait ship the bulk of their crude.