Iran reverses Strait of Hormuz reopening amid US blockade standoff

Tehran closed vital shipping route again after Washington refused to lift naval blockade during ceasefire talks.

Iran reversed its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz less than 24 hours after announcing commercial vessels could transit the waterway, citing a continued US naval blockade of Iranian ports as a violation of ceasefire terms²⁷⁹.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Saturday the strait had "returned to its previous state" and warned that any vessel attempting passage without permission "will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted"⁷⁸. At least two ships reported coming under fire while approaching the strait on Saturday, and shipping data showed no movement through the waterway after midnight GMT on Sunday⁵⁶.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had announced on Friday the strait would be open for all commercial vessels during the remainder of a US-brokered 10-day truce between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon²³. The announcement briefly sent oil prices tumbling by 11 per cent³.

US President Donald Trump accused Iran of a "total violation" of the ceasefire for firing on ships near the strait⁵. He said on Sunday his envoys would arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening for further talks, adding "we're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL"⁵. Trump had earlier said he believed a deal to end the war could come "soon", though he did not specify timing¹².

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said recent talks had made progress but the two sides remained "far apart" on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz⁶. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said no date had been set for a new round of face-to-face talks with the US¹².

The conflict, which began on 28 February with US and Israeli air strikes against Iran, has effectively closed the strait through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally transits¹³. The current two-week ceasefire expires on 22 April⁴⁸.