ISTANBUL: Iran’s parliament has approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important gateway for oil transport, following US strikes on three nuclear facilities, a senior lawmaker said on Sunday, according to media reports.
“The parliament has reached the conclusion that the Strait of Hormuz should be closed,” said Esmaeil Kowsari, a member of the parliament’s national security commission in statements carried by state-run television.
“The final decision in this regard lies with the Supreme National Security Council,” Kowsari added. The council serves as Iran’s highest security authority.
The parliamentary vote came after US aircraft bombed three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. The attacks came as the latest escalation in a US-backed Israeli military assault on Iran since June 13, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks on Israel.