CAIRO — Iran said Saturday it has reimposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, less than a day after declaring the vital shipping lane open, blaming the United States for failing to meet its obligations under a tentative arrangement tied to a regional ceasefire.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy warned that any vessel approaching the strait without authorization would be considered cooperating with enemy forces and could be targeted. The announcement renewed uncertainty around one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, through which roughly one-fifth of global crude supplies typically pass.
The move came after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports, a central sticking point in ongoing negotiations. Iranian state media said the decision to close the strait again was a direct response to that policy.
“Iran agreed to allow a limited number of ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz according to agreements, but the United States did not fulfill their obligations,” state broadcaster IRIB reported.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said at least one tanker was fired upon by Iranian gunboats while transiting the strait, though the vessel and its crew were reported safe. Shipping sources indicated that at least two additional vessels reported similar incidents.
India summoned Iran’s ambassador after an Indian-flagged oil tanker was attacked while attempting to pass through the waterway, according to reports.
The renewed closure followed a brief and confusing reopening announced Friday, when Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said commercial vessels could resume transit during a ceasefire linked to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, ships were required to follow routes coordinated by Iranian authorities, and several vessels reportedly turned back after failing to secure clearance.
In Washington, Trump downplayed the developments, saying talks with Iran were continuing and describing Tehran’s actions as an attempt to gain leverage.
“They can’t blackmail us,” Trump said, adding that Iran “got a little cute” in trying to shut the strait again.
Trump also signaled that a two-week ceasefire, set to expire Wednesday, may not be extended. He warned that military action could resume if conditions are not met, while maintaining that the blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place.
Diplomatic efforts have so far yielded little progress. Talks in Islamabad last week between U.S. and Iranian delegations failed to produce an agreement, and Iranian officials said new proposals delivered through Pakistan are still under review.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said any future negotiations would require the United States to scale back what it described as excessive demands. It also insisted that Iran would retain full control over traffic through the strait until the conflict ends and a broader peace is achieved.
The council characterized the U.S. blockade as a violation of the ceasefire terms and said the waterway would remain closed until those measures are lifted.
The uncertainty has rattled global energy markets. Oil prices fell sharply Friday amid confusion over the strait’s status, though analysts warned that a prolonged disruption could trigger significant supply shocks.
Beyond the maritime tensions, disputes over Iran’s nuclear program continue to complicate negotiations. Trump has said the United States intends to recover Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile as part of any agreement, a claim Iranian officials have rejected.
The escalating standoff underscores the fragility of the ceasefire framework and raises concerns about further military escalation in a region already strained by multiple overlapping conflicts.
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