Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, reversing a brief reopening and warning that any vessel attempting passage without permission would be targeted, after citing a continued US blockade of Iranian ports.¹³

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that the strait, through which 20 percent of globally traded oil transits, had "returned to its previous state" and would remain closed until the United States lifts restrictions on Iranian ports.¹ The IRGC described the US blockade as "acts of piracy and maritime theft" and said the waterway was "under the strict management and control of the armed forces".¹

Reports indicated Iranian gunboats fired at a merchant vessel as it attempted to cross the strait.¹ Video showed Iran's military ordering an Indian ship to abort its passage.⁵ The IRGC warned that approaching the strait "will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted".²³

The closure came hours after the strait was reopened, with more than a dozen commercial ships passing through following a US-mediated 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.¹ Iran's parliament speaker and senior negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a television interview that "the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the Islamic Republic", calling the US naval blockade "a clumsy and ignorant decision".³

The current two-week ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday unless extended.² Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump had no justification to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, as disagreements over nuclear issues continue.² Ghalibaf indicated that a conclusive peace agreement remained "far" away despite progress in talks.²