Strait of Hormuz Closed After Tanker Blasts
Public Lokpal
July 18, 2026
Strait of Hormuz Closed After Tanker Blasts
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz Saturday for a week following explosions on two oil tankers.
The IRGC claims the vessels struck maritime mines within an unsafe zone, allegedly guided by U.S. intelligence. Consequently, Iran declared the critical chokepoint entirely blocked to commercial traffic.
However, U.S. Central Command forcefully denied the reports, labeling the claims of exploding tankers as completely false.
The escalating crisis follows consecutive nights of U.S. airstrikes against Iranian infrastructure, shattering recent diplomatic efforts to secure the vital global energy shipping route.