Iranian forces will not allow the export of oil from the region to allies of the United States and Israel for the duration of the ongoing war, a Revolutionary Guards spokesman said on Tuesday.
“The Iranian armed forces… will not allow the export of a single litre of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice,” said Ali Mohammad Naini, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. He added that any change would depend on the conditions of the conflict.
On 28 February, the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a war that has spread across the Middle East. Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting US and Israeli interests throughout the region.
Shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil typically transits, has been severely disrupted. Iranian forces have repeatedly targeted oil tankers passing through the waterway since the conflict began.
Oil prices surged above $100 per barrel — the highest since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — before falling on Monday after US President Donald Trump said military operations would soon end.
“Their efforts to reduce and control the price of oil and gas will be temporary and fruitless,” IRGC spokesman Naini said. “Trade in war conditions is hinged on security.”
Late on Monday, the Revolutionary Guards urged countries to expel US and Israeli ambassadors to gain passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Any Arab or European country that expels the Israeli and American ambassadors from its territory will have complete freedom and authority to pass through the Strait of Hormuz starting tomorrow,” the Guards said, as quoted by Iranian state TV.
