Iran reportedly moves to shut Strait of Hormuz after US attacks

The Iranian parliament backed a measure to close the critical shipping route in response to U.S. airstrikes on nuclear sites in Iran, state media reported

By Jacob Parry

Iran's parliament endorsed a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global transit chokepoint, in response to overnight U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Iranian state media reported Sunday.

Iran's state-owned broadcaster Press TV reported that the legislature had reached a consensus to close the strait.

The final decision rests with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, it said.

The channel, which separates Iran and Oman, is a vital gateway for petroleum shipments from Persian Gulf countries.

The strait connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints.

About 30 percent of global seaborne oil shipments pass through the narrow passage, a vulnerability that has become a growing concern amid spiraling regional tensions. 

The parliamentary endorsement comes directly after the U.S. launched strikes on Iran's Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities.

The American attack, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, involved a series of strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.

It was launched to “neutralize” Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a press conference on Sunday.

U.S. President Donald Trump, in his message to the nation on Saturday evening, proclaimed the attacks a “spectacular military success.” Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities had been “completely and totally obliterated,” he said.