How Iran used These Gun Boats and Anti Ship Missiles to Close the Strait of Hormuz. Well It started deep within the transit lanes. According to alerts issued by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center—a merchant tanker was navigating the waters roughly 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The ship’s master reported being approached by two gunboats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. But here is the crucial detail: The IRGC vessels did not issue a standard VHF radio challenge.
There was no warning. In the naval world, this is a severe and dangerous breach of standard maritime protocol. Without warning, the two gunboats opened fire on the massive tanker. Fortunately, the confirmed that the vessel and its crew survived the barrage and were reported safe, while authorities scrambled to investigate the hull damage. But the physical damage wasn’t the primary goal.
The goal was to send a message. So, what triggered this sudden ambush The motive behind the attack boils down to the total breakdown of a fragile, parallel standoff between Washington and Tehran. This wasn’t a random act of piracy; it was the direct result of dueling blockades.
A high-stakes geopolitical tit-for-tat where global shipping lanes are being used as leverage, and merchant sailors are caught squarely in the middle. But All this Happens because Both the US and Iran both imposed a Blockade Within in a Blockade. Intro How 2 Iranian Boats Threatened the World’s Oil Supply Did Iran Use 2 Gun Boats to Block the Strait of Hormuz Did Iran Really Block the Strait of Hormuz With Just 2 Boats