Vessels in the Gulf reported receiving messages warning that no ships were allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz, according to EU and UK agencies, though Iran has not confirmed any closure.
An official from the European Union’s naval mission Aspides said on Saturday that vessels operating in the Gulf have been receiving VHF radio messages from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stating that “no ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz.”
The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Iran has not formally confirmed issuing any such order.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency separately said it had received multiple reports from vessels in the Gulf that they had been informed of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
UKMTO added that there was no immediate confirmation from Iranian authorities.
World’s most vital oil export route
The Strait of Hormuz is considered the world’s most vital oil export route, serving as a critical chokepoint connecting major Gulf oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates, to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil consumption passes through the narrow waterway.
A boat approaches the St Kitt’s and Nevis-flagged container ship Marsa Victory while crusing in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Khasab in Oman’s northern Musandam peninsula on June 25, 2025. (credit: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
Iran has for years threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz in response to attacks or heightened pressure against the Islamic Republic, though it has never carried out a full closure.
Maritime and security officials have repeatedly warned that even limited disruptions to traffic in the strait could have significant global economic and energy market consequences.