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2h ago

Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz Again as U.S. Keeps Port Blockade

The reversal underscores Iran’s bid to use the chokepoint as leverage over the U.S. blockade.

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A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman’s Musandam province. Iran has backflipped on its agreement to reopen the Strait, after the United States imposed a counter-blockade on the major oil route. 
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Overview

  • Iran’s military, which declared Saturday that the strait was back under “strict management and control,” said the waterway will stay shut until Washington lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
  • Revolutionary Guard gunboats fired on commercial ships trying to transit, with the UK Maritime Trade Operations center reporting rounds at a tanker and India confirming two Indian‑flagged vessels were attacked and lodging a protest with Tehran.
  • President Donald Trump said the blockade remains in full force and warned Iran “can’t blackmail us,” as U.S. Central Command reported turning back 23 ships since Monday.
  • Pakistan-led mediation continues as Iran’s security council says it is reviewing new U.S. proposals, with a fragile ceasefire set to expire Wednesday and disputes persisting over Tehran’s roughly 440 kg stockpile of enriched uranium.
  • France and the U.K. plan a separate, strictly defensive multinational mission to reassure shipping once conditions permit, reflecting concern over a chokepoint that normally carries about one‑fifth of seaborne oil and key LNG flows.