The Times of Israel reports: “An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps senior official said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz is closed, threatening that if any vessels pass through it, Iran ‘will set those ships ablaze,’ state media reported.

Choking off the Persian Gulf waterway, the world’s most vital oil export route, threatens to send crude prices soaring. However, Fox News cited the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) as saying the strait was still open.

In remarks carried by Iran’s state media, Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards commander-in-chief, said: ‘The Strait [of Hormuz] is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze.’

It was the most explicit threat to Hormuz shipping by Iran’s Guards since the force told ships on Saturday that the export route was closed…”