Iran's IRGC threatens to shut down more Middle East energy export routes

JAKARTA - The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has threatened to shut down more energy export routes from the Middle East in response to the US military's move to reimpose a naval blockade on ships entering and leaving Iranian ports.

"The US must be prepared for the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies," the IRGC said on Wednesday, July 15, a day after the blockade was reimposed as reported by CNN.

"The export of oil and gas in this region will be enjoyed by all parties or not at all," the statement continued.

Over the weekend, the IRGC said the Strait of Hormuz - a waterway through which before the war a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed - was closed.

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude exporter, has diverted much of its exports to the Red Sea.

However, the presence of Iranian-backed Houthi rebels near the Bab al-Mandab Strait - the southern entrance to the waterway - increases the risk of further disruption to global energy supplies if the group tries to target shipping there.

The US military naval blockade of ships entering and leaving Iranian ports was re-imposed at 16:00 local time (ET) on Tuesday, July 14, according to a statement by the US Central Command (US Central Command) on the X platform.

Previously, the US had imposed a blockade on Iranian ports for about two months at the beginning of the war, namely between April and June. The blockade enforcement operation covers an area ranging from the Middle East to the Indian Ocean, which is thousands of miles away.