Iran-US war latest: Tehran closes Strait of Hormuz again after Trump refuses to end US blockade
Iran has closed and restricted the Strait of Hormuz again, swiftly reversing course on reopening the vital waterway.
Tehran’s joint military command said on Saturday that its “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state… under strict management and control of the armed forces”.
It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of its ports continued.
Oil tankers began moving through the strait on Saturday, marking the first major movement of ships in the route since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran seven weeks ago.
Iran reopened the route, which carried a fifth of the world’s oil trade before the conflict, following a separate ceasefire agreement by Israel and Lebanon on Thursday.
However, Iran’s speaker of parliament and senior negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, had warned it “will not remain open” if the US blockade continued.
It announcement came the morning after Donald Trump said the American blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear programme.
