“Strait of Hormuz Closed”: Iran Deploys New Anti-Ship Missile

Iran says it has used a new anti-ship missile against the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, describing the move as a warning that the maritime blockade remains vulnerable.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary-general of Iran’s National Security Council, reported the first use of the new weapon in an interview with state broadcaster. “This is an important warning to the enemy and means that the naval blockade is vulnerable,” he said.

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This is an important warning to the enemy and means that the naval blockade is vulnerable.

The statement follows a U.S. military attack on three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday that left them out of service. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had earlier fired ballistic missiles at two U.S. warships, according to the U.S. regional command CENTCOM.

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The Strait of Hormuz is completely closed, and the U.S. claim that ships and oil tankers are passing through it is a lie.

Rezaei rejected the U.S. account that the Strait of Hormuz had reopened to international shipping. “The Strait of Hormuz is completely closed, and the U.S. claim that ships and oil tankers are passing through it is a lie,” he said. He added that vessels trying to cross with their navigation systems switched off were usually attacked. Iranian forces had so far decided not to sink those vessels, he said, “for environmental protection reasons.”

The strait has become the central dispute between Washington and Tehran during the war. Iran has largely restricted traffic through the waterway with threats and attacks on ships, while the United States is seeking to pressure Iran with a naval blockade of its ports. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also criticized possible South Korean support for the U.S. Navy, warning that any operational involvement or additional military presence in the Persian Gulf or Strait of Hormuz would amount to direct support for the attacking side.

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for environmental protection reasons