Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again after reported gunfire on ships

Tehran reversed reopening decision, citing US blockade of Iranian ports as ceasefire violation.

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz for a second time on Saturday, hours after reopening the waterway, in response to what it described as a continued US blockade of Iranian ports²³⁵. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any vessel attempting passage without permission would be considered cooperation with the enemy and targeted⁴⁵.

At least two ships reported being fired upon while approaching the strait on Saturday¹². One China-owned tanker and an Indian-owned gas carrier were seen transiting eastbound early Sunday but appeared to have been turned back, with no other vessels entering or leaving the Gulf after midnight GMT, according to vessel-tracking data². Video footage showed Iranian military forces ordering an Indian ship to abort its passage⁹.

US President Donald Trump accused Iran of a "total violation" of the ceasefire agreement for firing on ships near the strait¹. He threatened to "knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran" unless Tehran accepted his terms, posting on social media "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!"¹. Trump announced that US envoys would arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening for renewed talks¹.

Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said recent talks with the US had made progress but the two sides remained far apart on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz². Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Trump had no justification to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights⁴. Qalibaf described the US naval blockade of Iranian ports as "a clumsy and ignorant decision" and acts of "piracy and maritime theft"³⁵.

The conflict, now in its eighth week, has created what observers describe as the most severe shock to global energy supplies in history². The strait normally carries one-fifth of the world's oil shipments²³. The current two-week ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday unless extended⁴.