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IRGC orders evacuation near US sites, bans enemy-linked shipping as Hormuz shut
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Friday it had banned all shipping linked to ports of “enemy allies,” declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, and urged residents across West Asia to evacuate areas hosting US forces, as it pressed ahead with missile and drone strikes on American and Israeli military assets.
In a statement, the IRGC said its naval units turned back three container vessels of various nationalities attempting to enter an authorized transit corridor, warning that any movement through Hormuz would face a “decisive” response, IRNA reported.
It also cautioned civilians to immediately leave locations where US troops are stationed, accusing American and Israeli forces of operating from civilian areas and using noncombatants as “human shields.”
“The cowardly American-Zionist forces… are attempting to use civilian locations and innocent people as human shields,” the statement said, adding that Iranian forces are “obliged” to target hostile elements “wherever found.”
The moves come amid intensifying hostilities that began on February 28 following US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, prompting Tehran’s ongoing retaliatory campaign.
Separately, the IRGC said it carried out the 83rd wave of Operation True Promise 4 early Friday, targeting key US and Israeli positions across the region with a combination of long- and medium-range missiles and loitering drones. Strikes focused on logistics nodes, fuel depots and military infrastructure.
The IRGC described the operation as a “full success,” highlighting the deployment of precision-strike and multi-warhead systems. It added that sustained barrages have disrupted daily routines for Israeli settlers, forcing repeated sheltering under alerts.
Reiterating its warning, the IRGC urged civilians to distance themselves from US military sites to avoid harm.