Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz over US blockade
- Sydney (19 April)
The Iranian Government closed the Strait of Hormuz because of the US Navy’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports on 18 April, a day after it conditionally opened the maritime passage to commercial ships.
Iranian forces attacked two Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait late on 18 April – Australian Eastern Standard Time.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps gunboats attacked a tanker near Oman, the ship’s crew reported to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO). A missile then hit another container ship near the Strait, according to UKMTO.
India’s Foreign Secretary has urged Iranian authorities to facilitate the movement of India-bound ships across the Strait, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on 18 April.
Late on 17 April, Iran opened the Strait for the first time since 28 February – when Israel and the US attacked it – because Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ten-day ceasefire. But hours later, Mohammad Galibaf, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament, said that the country would close the narrow waterway if the US maintained its blockade of Iranian ports.
The US Navy began to block the movement of ships transiting through Iranian ports on 14 April. It has directed 23 vessels to return to Iran since the blockade began and completely halted all sea-borne economic trade going into and out of the country, US Central Command (Centcom) said on 19 April.
Centcom will continue to blockade Iran until the US negotiates a peace deal with the country, US President Donald Trump said on 18 April.
Brent crude futures prices fell from $99.39/barrel to $91.87/barrel immediately after Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz. But oil markets have been closed for the weekend since Iran shut the maritime passage.
The Australian Government continued to prepare for prolonged Hormuz disruptions over the weekend. “[The Hormuz reopening is] very fragile and we don’t assume the best. What we do is prepare as best we can for the uncertainty which is there,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at a press conference on 18 April.
Australia’s government will allow fuel distributors to sell high-sulphur petrol until the end of September because of disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz, Minister for Energy Chris Bowen added. Last month, Bowen cut sulphur standards for petrol until the end of May.
Australia currently has 46 days of petrol reserves, 31 days of diesel reserves, and 30 days of jet fuel reserves on hand, Bowen said on 18 April. An additional 61 fuel cargo ships are on the way to Australia, he added.
Albanese also reiterated the Australian Government’s support for open maritime trade at his 18 April press conference. “We want safe and open passage of trade. That is in Australia’s interests and in the interests of the world,” the Prime Minister said.
By Avinash Govind