Coinciding with military maneuvers conducted by the Revolutionary Guard in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian authorities have stated their intention to close parts of the strategic strait for a few hours on Tuesday. According to the Iranian Farsi News Agency, the decision is a precautionary measure to ensure safety of navigation.

Iran announced that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard began live ammunition exercises early on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz. The Tasnim News Agency reported that the missiles launched inside Iran and along its coasts and islands hit their targets in the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a major route for oil and liquefied natural gas.

Ali Khamenei. (AFP)

According to the agency, this maneuver was conducted to ensure security and safe navigation, with the participation of combat and quick-response naval units of the Revolutionary Guard.

Tehran has previously threatened multiple times to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil production passes. This development comes as the United States and Iran begin their second round of indirect talks regarding the Iranian nuclear program.

Approximately a quarter of the world's seaborne oil and a fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas pass through the strait, according to the International Energy Agency. The commander of the naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard, Ali Reza Tangsiri, said that any complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz depends on the decisions made by the country's leaders.