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The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked since Saturday evening and will not reopen until the United States lifts its naval blockade on the waterway, reported Xinhua. In a statement carried by its official news outlet Sepah News, the IGRC said that the move came after the United States violated its commitments under the two-week ceasefire, which took effect on April 8, and failed to end its naval blockade against Iranian vessels and ports. The IRGC Navy called on all vessels and their owners to follow official updates via its channel and VHF Channel 16, the international maritime distress, safety, and calling frequency. The statements by U.S. President Donald Trump hold no credibility in the strait and the Gulf, it added. The IRGC warned that no vessel should move from its anchorage in the Gulf or the Gulf of Oman, and any approach to the strait would be deemed "cooperation with the enemy" and targeted accordingly. Iran had tightened control over the strait since Feb. 28, when it barred passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States after the two countries' joint strikes on Iranian territory. The United States later imposed its own blockade on the waterway after peace negotiations with Iran in Pakistan's Islamabad collapsed. Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said on Saturday the country is determined to exercise control and supervision over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until the war is definitively ended and a lasting peace is achieved in the region. US military prepares to board Iran-linked ships in int'l waters: report The U.S. military is preparing in the coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing U.S. officials. The U.S. "will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran," Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday. The move will enable the U.S. to take control of Iran-linked vessels around the world, including ships carrying Iranian oil that are already sailing outside the Persian Gulf and those carrying arms that could support Tehran, the report said. The operation would be carried out in part by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, according to Caine. It marks a new phase of the U.S. pressure campaign against Tehran, dubbed "Economic Fury" by the Trump administration, aiming to maximize economic pressure on the Middle Eastern country as a temporary ceasefire between the two sides is set to expire next week. U.S. President Donald Trump is optimistic that the naval blockade, combined with measures imposed under "Economic Fury," "will help facilitate a peace deal," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly was quoted as saying. Iran cannot "blackmail" US with Strait of Hormuz: Trump U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington is talking to Tehran and Iran cannot "blackmail" the United States with the Strait of Hormuz. "We're talking to them. They wanted to close up the strait again... and they can't blackmail us," Trump said at an event in the White House. Iran's Supreme National Security Council said on Saturday that the country is determined to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until the war is definitively ended and lasting peace is achieved in the region. As long as the enemy intends to disrupt the passage of vessels and employ methods such as naval blockade, Iran will consider this a violation of the ceasefire and will prevent the conditional and limited opening of the strait, it said. Iran's supreme leader says navy ready to inflict "new bitter defeats" on enemies Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Saturday the country's navy is ready to inflict "new bitter defeats" on the United States and Israel, according to the official news agency IRNA, reported Xinhua. He made the remarks in a message on the occasion of Iran's Army Day, which falls on April 18, while praising the Iranian army for its fight against the "enemies." Khamenei said during the recent 40-day war, Iran's army has been "courageously" defending the country's soil in tandem with other Iranian armed forces against the United States and Israel, exposing their "weakness and humiliation" to the world. He added as the army's drones "thunderously" hit the U.S. and Israeli targets, "its brave Navy is ready to give the enemies the bitter taste of new defeats." UKMTO reports 3 maritime incidents in Strait of Hormuz Three separate maritime security incidents involving commercial vessels were reported in waters near the Strait of Hormuz within three hours, according to the latest daily summary released by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency on Saturday. UKMTO said the regional security environment remains volatile, with ongoing military activity continuing to pose risks to commercial shipping. In the first incident, a tanker was approached by two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats about 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The master reported that the vessels opened fire on the tanker without issuing a prior VHF radio challenge. The tanker and all crew members were reported safe. In the second incident, a container ship was struck by an unknown projectile about 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman, with several containers on board damaged. No fires or environmental impact were reported. In the third incident, a commercial vessel reported seeing a splash in close proximity to the ship while transiting about three nautical miles east of Oman. No further details on damage or threat were immediately available. The agency advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution.
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