Reactions and statements from the international community
On April 17, U.S. Army Soldiers flew AH-64 Apache helicopters above and around the Strait of Hormuz to provide a visible presence and support freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.
Iranian small gunboats are engaging tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, firing upon them as they approach.
Two commercial ships were reportedly fired upon while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz; the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations stated that two boats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps opened machine gun fire on an Indian supertanker near the coast of Oman, which was carrying around two million barrels of Iraqi oil.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a tanker was targeted by two armed boats linked to the IRGC Quds Force, 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman; the tanker's captain stated the boats opened fire without warning, but the vessel and crew are safe.
On April 29, Mojtaba Khamenei, the third leader of the Islamic Republic, issued a message on Army Day stating that the Iranian army is defending the country alongside other armed forces and emphasizing the need to rapidly increase the institution's capabilities in all areas.
Reuters, citing maritime sources, reported that gunfire was heard after at least two ships attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the Islamic Republic canceled the short-term reopening of the strait and accused the United States of violating the ceasefire agreement.
The Strait of Hormuz has been closed once more, according to a Twitter post. The poster suggests that former U.S. President Trump's statements may have contributed to internal conflict within the Iranian regime between the clerical leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Two Indian vessels, including a large tanker carrying Iraqi oil, were forced to alter course and retreat west after being fired upon by IRGC forces in the Strait of Hormuz. Later, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced that control of the strait had returned to IRGC management.
Investors placed bets totaling approximately $760 million on a decline in oil prices just minutes before the Islamic Republic announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz; the strait was subsequently closed again, causing oil prices to drop by up to 11 percent.
Mahmoud Nabavian, a member of Iran's Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, stated in Arak on April 28 that Iran will continue its conflict with the U.S. and Israel until their "complete defeat" and declared that Iran will prevent U.S. military ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a resolution from the National Security Commission.
Many ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz began to turn around en masse after Iran announced it would reimpose stricter control over the strategic waterway.
The IRGC Navy Command published an article threatening a "fitting response" to any breach of promise by the United States, and stated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed as long as Iranian vessels face threats.
