Agencies | Theran:
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has declared the Strait of Hormuz “closed”, amid reports that three tankers have been hit since Friday, escalating concerns over maritime security in the strategically important waterway.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that one of the tankers was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a small boat.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, claimed that the US Navy’s “effective” blockade had stopped all Iranian ships from transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The competing claims underscore rising tensions over maritime traffic and access to the vital shipping route.
In a separate development, five Palestinians were killed and several others injured in Israeli drone attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, three civilians were killed and five others injured in Houthi attacks on Taiz, according to the city’s Siege Affairs Office.
