TEHRAN, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Friday that passage is prohibited for any vessel through any corridor in the Strait of Hormuz to and from the ports of countries allied with and supporting the United States and Israel.
Earlier in the day, the IRGC Navy turned back three container ships with different nationalities that were approaching the corridor only for the authorized vessels' passage, according to a statement published on IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News.
It said the container ships decided to set sail following the "lies" told by U.S. President Donald Trump that the Strait of Hormuz is open.
The IRGC Navy declared the Strait of Hormuz is closed, warning that any transit will face severe consequences, the statement added.
Trump claimed on Thursday that Iran had agreed to let 10 oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the IRGC urged civilians in regional states to immediately evacuate areas near places where U.S. forces are staying to avoid harm.
In a separate statement on Sepah, the IRGC said the Iranian armed forces have been tasked with killing the "terrorist" forces of the United States and Israel wherever they found them.
In a post on social media platform X on Thursday, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned hotels in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries against accepting U.S. soldiers.
"From outset of this war, U.S. soldiers fled military bases in GCC to hide in hotels and offices. They use GCC citizens as human shield," Araghchi said.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East. ■
