Iran’s parliament on Sunday officially approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following precision airstrikes by the United States targeting key Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday. The US deployed B-2 stealth bombers to carry out coordinated attacks on Iran’s critical nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — all of which play a pivotal role in the country’s uranium enrichment program.
The strikes mark the first direct US military involvement in the spiraling Israel-Iran conflict.
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the world’s most critical maritime arteries. Nearly a fifth of global oil shipments and a sizable volume of liquefied natural gas flow through this chokepoint daily. Any disruption to this passage sends immediate shockwaves through international markets — and this time, the strait has been shut down entirely.
The decision to close the strait was greenlit by Iran’s Parliament and confirmed by senior officials. Major General Kowsari, a prominent member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, told local outlets that the move had strong backing within the legislative body. However, the final go-ahead will be taken by the Supreme National Security Council, sealing the decision.
Military analysts view the closure as a high-stakes strategic retaliation against Washington’s intervention. The narrow strait, only 33 kilometers wide with even narrower shipping lanes, is notoriously easy to block and difficult to reroute.
Almost 20% of the world’s oil and a significant share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) pass through the strait, making it one of the most important maritime chokepoints in the world. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sparked immediate concerns about the ripple effects on global oil markets, already volatile due to ongoing geopolitical tensions.
This latest flashpoint emerges at a time when the region is already on edge. Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion,” launched last week to target Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, had drawn swift condemnation and warnings from Tehran. Now, with U.S. forces directly attacking Iranian territory, the possibility of a wider regional war appears increasingly real.
