Tehran: Iran’s parliament has approved a proposal to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most crucial oil transit routes, in retaliation for recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, state-run Press TV reported on Sunday.
The move is not yet final. The final decision rests with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the nation’s top security body.
The vote follows reported U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, including the Fordow enrichment facility near Qom, a site located deep within a mountain.
The Strait of Hormuz, which separates Iran from Gulf Arab nations, handles roughly 20% of global oil and gas shipments daily. With the waterway just 33 kilometers wide at its narrowest and only 3 kilometers wide in each shipping direction, any disruption could result in causing major shock through global energy markets.
According to reports, Major General Kowsari, a member of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Committee, has confirmed to state media that while the parliament has reached a consensus to close the Strait, only the Supreme National Security Council has the authority to make the final decision on the matter.
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Eshwar Khandre has instructed authorities to formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) for trekking safety, intended to serve as a national model.
The Minister issued the instruction in writing to the chief wildlife warden in the wake of the disappearance of a woman from Kerala in the dense Tadiandamol forest, and the search for a minor girl in Chandradrona hills, his office said in a release on Thursday.
Like the ‘e-Gastu’ app already developed by the Forest Department and the ‘MStripes’ app used in tiger reserves, if a similar kind of app is temporarily installed on the mobile phones of trekkers during the trek, it will be easier to track those who go astray, hence the Forest Minister has directed to take steps to develop the app and provide group insurance to trekkers, it said.
In addition, Khandre has suggested that nature guides should be equipped with wireless communication sets and they should be held accountable for safety and coordination of trekking groups under their supervision, it added.
