The British Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported today that it has received several reports from ships in the Gulf indicating they have received messages from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) regarding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions in the region. The authority stated in a bulletin that ships reported receiving notifications related to the closure of the strait, without providing further details about the source or nature of these messages. In a related context, an official from the European Union's maritime security mission 'Aspides' said that ships are receiving messages on very high frequency from the IRGC stating that 'no vessel is allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz'. The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, added that Iran has not yet officially confirmed the issuance of such a decision.
