Iran’s military declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday, its military command said, hours after reopening it and with numerous commercial ships abandoning attempts to pass through the vital waterway.
The toing and froing over the Strait cast doubt on US President Donald Trump’s optimism the day before, that a peace deal to end the US-Israeli war with Iran was “very close”.
On Friday, Tehran had declared the strait, which usually carries a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, open after a ceasefire was agreed in Lebanon to halt Israel’s war with Hezbollah.
This prompted elation in global markets and sent oil prices plunging, with Trump insisting that a US naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a deal was concluded, Tehran threatened to shutter the strait once more.
Then, late on Saturday morning, Iran’s central military command said that, in response to the US blockade, “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status” and “is under strict management and control of the armed forces”.
The announcement came as maritime tracking sites showed several ships dashing through the narrow waterway.
By 1030 GMT on Saturday, no fewer than eight oil and gas tankers had crossed the strait, but at least as many ships appeared to have turned back, having tried to exit the Gulf.
Adding to the confusion, British Marine Security Agency, the UKMTO, reported at 0920 GMT that a tanker northeast of Oman said it had been approached by two Iranian Revolutionary Guards ships without radio warning and fired upon.
The ship and crew were safe, it said, and authorities were investigating.
Speaking at a diplomatic forum in Turkey, Iranian deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said the “Americans cannot impose their will over Iran” through a siege.
Meanwhile, in a written message, Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who had not been seen since taking power, said Iran’s navy “stands ready” to defeat the United States.
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There are just four days remaining before the end of the two-week ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran, launched by Washington and its ally on February 28.
Nevertheless, President Trump appeared convinced that a deal could be finished shortly.
