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Iran had closed the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the conflict
Attributed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and reporting
Multiple independent news outlets corroborate that Iran effectively closed or severely restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz at the outset of the 2026 US-Israel-Iran conflict (which began around February 28, 2026). CNBC reported the strait was 'effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war... in late February.' A Congressional Research Service (congress.gov) report states that 'days after U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began, Iranian forces declared the Strait closed and cross-Strait traffic largely halted.' Axios and Malay Mail similarly described the strait as 'all but closed'/'all but shut' since the war began. Al Jazeera's reporting notes Iran 'effectively closed the strait after the US-Israeli bombing campaign began on February 28,' though the waterway partially reopened following a June 17 US-Iran memorandum of understanding before being threatened with renewed closure as tensions resumed in July, August and October 2026 (per Washington Times and other outlets). I found one Washington Times article noting Iran's foreign minister Araghchi said he had asked UN Secretary-General Guterres about the matter, but I could not locate a direct, quotable statement from Guterres himself asserting the strait 'had been closed since the beginning of the conflict.' No dedicated fact-check from Reuters Fact Check, AFP Fact Check, Bellingcat, or EUvsDisinfo specifically addressing this claim was found.
Supporting sources
Contradicting sources
Several independent, reputable outlets (CNBC, Axios, Al Jazeera, a Congressional Research Service report, Malay Mail) consistently describe the Strait of Hormuz as effectively closed or severely restricted from the start of the conflict, supporting the substance of the claim, but the attribution specifically to Guterres could not be directly verified, and the strait saw periods of partial reopening (notably after the June 2026 MoU), making 'closed since the beginning' a simplification of a more fluctuating situation.
Some independent corroboration was found, but it isn't yet conclusive.
Aug 28, 2026, 9:52 AM UTC
UnverifiedInitial assessment.
Sep 6, 2026, 9:34 AM UTC
LikelyIndependent reporting (UN News, Reuters via Malay Mail, CBS News) consistently describes the Strait of Hormuz as severely disrupted or effectively closed for the duration of the conflict, supporting the substance of the claim, but no outlet was found using the exact wording attributed to Guterres, and Iranian officials themselves gave conflicting characterizations (claiming it was open but 'closed to enemies'), so it falls short of full confirmation.
Sep 15, 2026, 9:43 AM UTC
UnverifiedNo search tool access was available during this session, so no independent evidence, official statements, shipping data, or fact-checking organization reports could be retrieved or reviewed to substantiate or refute the claim.
Sep 27, 2026, 9:45 AM UTC
DisputedMultiple independent reports describe a fluctuating, contested, and initially procedural (parliamentary vote pending final approval) situation regarding the strait's closure, rather than a full closure in place from the very start of the conflict, and US officials at points disputed that any closure was in effect at all.
Oct 21, 2026, 9:37 AM UTC
LikelySeveral independent, reputable outlets (CNBC, Axios, Al Jazeera, a Congressional Research Service report, Malay Mail) consistently describe the Strait of Hormuz as effectively closed or severely restricted from the start of the conflict, supporting the substance of the claim, but the attribution specifically to Guterres could not be directly verified, and the strait saw periods of partial reopening (notably after the June 2026 MoU), making 'closed since the beginning' a simplification of a more fluctuating situation.
First observed Aug 28, 2026, 9:52 AM UTC · Last reviewed Oct 21, 2026, 9:37 AM UTC