Iran says it closed Strait of Hormuz from Arabian Sea side, threatening 'swift action' if US advances

Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz from the Arabian Sea side and will take "swift action" if US forces move forward, Iranian navy commander Shahram Irani said late Wednesday.

“The enemy thought that in the shortest possible time—such as three days to one week—it could reach a conclusion in a war against Iran, and this assumption of theirs has become a joke in military universities," Irani said in a statement carried by the state-run broadcaster IRIB.

"We are united to the last drop of our blood to take revenge for our martyrs," he added.

Hostilities in the region escalated after the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against US allies in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire was announced on April 8 through Pakistani mediation followed by talks in Islamabad on April 11-12, but no agreement could be reached.

US President Donald Trump later said the truce had been extended at Pakistan’s request, pending a proposal from Tehran. Despite ongoing efforts to arrange another round of talks, uncertainty remains.