JAKARTA - The Iranian military said the United States naval blockade that will begin on Monday will be illegal and equivalent to piracy.
"The restrictions imposed by the Americans on navigation and maritime transit in international waters are illegal and an example of piracy," said a statement issued by Iran's military command center, Khatam Al-Anbiya, read on state television, reported Al Arabiya (13/4).
Iran will "firmly implement" a "permanent mechanism" to control the Strait of Hormuz following the US threat to block it, the statement said.
The US military said it would begin blocking all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday.
US Central Command (US CENTCOM) said the US blockade, which began at 10 a.m. ET on Monday (14:00 GMT), would "be impartially enforced against vessels of all nations entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman."
The US military said ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports would not be impeded. Additional information would be provided to commercial mariners through official notifications before the start of the blockade, it said.
Previously, President Donald Trump threatened to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, following the deadlock in Iran's negotiations with the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan at the weekend.
The talks come after a two-week ceasefire was announced by both sides last week, bringing a breath of fresh air to the conflict-ridden Middle East.
Tensions broke out in the Middle East on February 28, following a US and Israeli attack on Iran, which has so far killed more than 1,340 people, including the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as a number of senior officials and military leaders.
The State of the Mullahs retaliated by targeting Israeli territory and facilities related to the United States in a number of countries in the Middle East region. Israel also strictly restricts the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth or about 20 percent of the world's oil and LNG traffic passes every day.
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