Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has ordered that the Strait of Hormuz remain closed, escalating tensions in the Middle East as global concern grows over the impact on energy supplies.
The directive was issued on Thursday, March 12, through a statement read on Iranian state television.
Khamenei has not appeared publicly since his nomination as supreme leader last Sunday, reportedly after sustaining injuries during an air strike.
His appointment followed the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the first wave of US and Israeli attacks that marked the beginning of the ongoing Middle East conflict.
In the message broadcast on state television, Khamenei called for decisive measures against the United States and its allies in the region.
“The lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely be used,” Khamenei said of the waterway through which a quarter of world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) usually transit.
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He added that “a limited amount of” Iran’s revenge for US and Israeli strikes had “taken concrete form, but until it is fully achieved, this case will remain among our priorities.”
The renewed escalation has heightened fears in global energy markets. Iran launched another round of attacks targeting energy infrastructure in Gulf countries on Thursday, briefly pushing crude oil prices above $100 per barrel.
Analysts have warned that the ongoing crisis could trigger what they described as “the largest supply disruption” in history if the conflict intensifies further.
Despite rising concerns over the potential impact on global oil supply and prices, US President Donald Trump downplayed the issue while reiterating his administration’s position on Iran.
Writing on social media, Trump said, “of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stoping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World.”
Meanwhile, maritime activity around the Strait of Hormuz has slowed significantly as tensions escalate.
Shipping traffic in the area has almost come to a halt following fresh attacks on vessels in the Gulf.