US Moves to Block Iranian Ports Near Hormuz as Tehran Warns of ‘Vortex of Death’

Full shutdown of Iranian ports and energy supply routes to begin at 11 p.m. today

Tensions between the US and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz are reaching a peak, with more than 20% of global crude oil and natural gas shipments passing through the waterway.

The US announced it will begin blocking all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports at 11 p.m. on June 13, Korea time.

The US military plans to halt exports of Iranian crude oil and stop vessels from third countries, including China and Russia, that could deliver weapons or supplies to Iran. Ships departing from or headed to ports other than Iranian ports will be exempt.

A naval blockade is a wartime or near-wartime measure. Under international law, it is treated as an act of war.

President Donald Trump pulled out the measure after weekend ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without a deal. The move is aimed at cutting off Iran’s funding sources.

Iran immediately issued a strong warning.

Sepah News, affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cited the navy command on June 12 as saying all vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is under the full control of Iran’s military authorities. If adversaries miscalculate even once, the strait will become a vortex of death that swallows them, it added.

That has turned the strait into a military flashpoint, with the US blockade and Iran’s control claim taking effect at the same time. Both countries are also expected to recognize that any clash in the waterway would carry risks for each side.

Park Sang-kyung, Hankyung.com reporter highseoul@hankyung.com