The Iranian parliament has voted in support of closing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints, but the final decision on retaliation will rest with the country’s Supreme National Security Council and leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has long held that it can shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which it has held onto as a last resort for escalation. “Closing” the Strait would mean making it impossible to navigate, with the Iranian Navy possibly laying down mines in the water to deter ships or the military shooting missiles to harass tankers.

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According to reports by Al Arabiya and the Jerusalem Post, Commander of Revolutionary Guards, Ismail Kowsari, who is a member of the National Security Commission of the Parliament, announced on Sunday that “The Parliament has reached the conclusion that the Strait of Hormuz should be closed, but the final decision in this regard lies with the Supreme National Security Council.”

The vote took place Sunday following “Operation Midnight Hammer,” in which seven B-2 stealth bombers flew into Iran and dropped 14 Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP) bombs on two of Iran’s nuclear sites, including the Fordow site. A third site was hit with Tomahawk submarine-launched cruise missiles.

 According to sources close to the government, the decision follows the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday.

In the Islamic Republic, the parliament vote merely advises Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of the option to pursue.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, the strait is about 21 miles wide, with two shipping lanes that are 2 miles wide in each direction.

Around 20 percent of global oil trade passes through the Strait. Some experts have said that if Iran were to cut off access to the Strait, it could spike oil prices by 30 to 50 percent immediately, with gas prices likewise rising by as much as $5 per gallon.

During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Iran targeted oil tankers and oil loading facilities. These actions did not fully block the Strait but caused sharp increases in shipping insurance premiums and delayed maritime traffic.

The founder of Tolou Capital Management, Spencer Hakimian, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: “There are close to 50 large oil tankers scrambling to leave the Strait of Hormuz right now. Looks like the oil industry is expecting the Strait to be blockaded in the coming days.”