Iran closes Strait of Hormuz after US maintains port blockade

Tehran reversed decision to reopen waterway, citing Washington's refusal to lift shipping restrictions during ceasefire.

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, less than 24 hours after reopening the waterway, after the United States refused to end its blockade of Iranian ports¹²⁴. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the strait would remain shut until Washington restored freedom of navigation for Iranian vessels⁴⁶.

Iranian gunboats fired on at least two ships attempting to pass through the strait on Saturday, forcing them to withdraw¹³¹⁰. Shipping data showed no vessels entered or left the Gulf after midnight GMT on Sunday, with one China-owned tanker and an Indian-owned gas carrier appearing to turn back early Sunday morning³.

US President Donald Trump accused Iran of a "total violation" of the ceasefire agreement and threatened to destroy the country's power plants and bridges unless Tehran accepted his terms². Trump said US envoys would arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening for renewed talks².

Iran had announced on Friday that the strait would reopen during the ceasefire, which ends on 22 April¹. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the decision was made "in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon"¹. The IRGC reversed that decision the following day, warning that any vessel attempting passage "will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted"⁵⁶.

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator and parliament speaker, said recent talks with the US had made progress but that the two sides remained "far apart" on nuclear issues and control of the strait³⁵. Trump cited "very good conversations" with Tehran but said Washington would not be "blackmailed"¹.

The conflict, now in its eighth week, began on 28 February with US and Israeli air strikes against Iran³. The closure of the strait has created what one analysis called "the most severe shock to global energy supplies in history"³. Before the war, about 20 percent of the world's oil shipments passed through the waterway³⁸.