Iran Guards threaten to trap enemies in ‘deadly vortex’ in Hormuz

TEHRAN — The Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that Iranian security forces had the Strait of Hormuz shipping bottleneck under their full control, warning that enemies would be trapped in a "deadly vortex" in the case of any miscalculation.

"All traffic... is under the full control of the armed forces," the Guards' naval command said in a Persian-language post on X after President Donald Trump ordered a US naval blockade of the Strait.

"The enemy will become trapped in a deadly vortex in the Strait if it makes the wrong move," it added, posting a video showing vessels in crosshairs.

In a separate statement released by the Guards' public relations office, the force's naval command insisted that "contrary to the false claims of some enemy officials," the Strait of Hormuz is "open to the harmless passage of civilian vessels in compliance with specific relevant regulations."

It did not give details on the nature of these rules but added: "Any military vessels that intend to approach the Strait of Hormuz under any pretext will be considered in violation of the ceasefire and will be dealt with severely."

In a lengthy declaration on his social media platform, Trump said that his eventual goal was to clear the strait of mines and reopen it to all shipping, but that in the meantime Iran must not be allowed to profit from its control of the waterway.

Iran imposed a de-facto blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after the start of the war with the United States and Israel on February 28, leading to a spike in global energy prices.

A two-week ceasefire was agreed late last week but it remains shaky, especially after the failure of talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad. — Agence France-Presse