Iran's Supreme National Security Council must make the final decision on whether to close the Strait of Hormuz following US bombing raids, Iran's Press TV said on Sunday, after parliament was reported to have backed the measure.

Iran has long used the threat of closing the Strait, through which around 20% of global oil and gas demand flows, as a way to ward off Western pressure which is now at its peak after the overnight US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

The decision to close the strait is not yet final and it was not officially reported that parliament had in fact adopted a bill to that effect.

Instead, a member of parliament's national security commission Esmail Kosari was quoted on other Iranian media as saying: "For now, [parliament has] come to the conclusion we should close the Strait of Hormuz, but the final decision in this regard is the responsibility of the Supreme National Security Council."

Kosari, who is also a Revolutionary Guards Commander, had earlier on Sunday told the Young Journalist Club that closing the strait was on the agenda and "will be done whenever necessary".

Asked about whether Tehran would close the waterway, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi dodged the question on Sunday and replied: "A variety of options are available to Iran."

The strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Mideast Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.

It is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane just 2 miles (3 km) wide in either direction.

MSH

At least 34 people, including two babies were killed when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria on Saturday.

According to Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, “a serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji. Another 20 people were seriously wounded in the incident.”

"I can't really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening,” he added.

Nigeria is a main oil and gas producer where fuel smuggling is very common along its borders, particularly when the government maintains a subsidy to keep fuel prices low.

The majority of the victims were burnt and they could not be not be identified.

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