Iranian Revolutionary Guards senior official, Ebrahim Jabari, has stated that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and Iran will fire on any ship attempting to pass. The closure was triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in February aimed at overthrowing its leaders. In response, Iran fired several missiles at its Gulf neighbours, including Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, and also the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman. This follows years of threats from Tehran to block the narrow waterway in retaliation for any attack on the Islamic Republic. The move comes after global shipping disruptions were already caused by drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants.