Iran’s military re-closed the Strait of Hormuz, prompting a US warning and renewed shipping threats, casting doubt on fragile ceasefire talks
TEHRAN: Iran’s military declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday. The move prompted President Donald Trump to warn Tehran against trying to “blackmail” the United States.
The strait had briefly reopened on Friday after a ceasefire was agreed in Israel’s war with Hezbollah. This prompted a plunge in global oil prices, but the reopening was short-lived.
Iran’s central military command said the strait was again “under strict management and control of the armed forces”. The Revolutionary Guards warned any effort to cross “will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted”.
Trump accused Tehran of getting “a little cute” with its recent moves. He insisted communications were ongoing, stating “We’ll be talking about Iran later.”
A handful of tankers crossed during the brief reopening, but others retreated. A UK maritime agency said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards fired at one tanker.
Security intelligence firm Vanguard Tech reported the force had threatened to “destroy” an empty cruise ship. New Delhi summoned the Iranian ambassador over a “shooting incident” involving two Indian-flagged ships.
Iran’s top security body said “new proposals have been put forward by the Americans”. It stated Iran’s delegation would not offer “even the slightest compromise, retreat or leniency” in talks.
Iranian deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh suggested the US blockade violated the ceasefire. He said it merited “repercussions” at a diplomatic forum in Turkey.
In a written message, Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said the navy “stands ready” to defeat the United States. The leader has yet to be seen since taking power.
Just four days remain before the end of the two-week ceasefire in the wider US-Israel war on Iran. The conflict began with surprise attacks on Iran in February.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo and Islamabad hoped to secure a final agreement “in the coming days”. He was speaking at the same Antalya event as Khatibzadeh.
Khatibzadeh insisted no date was set for the next round of talks. He said Tehran was “very much committed to diplomacy” despite the strait’s closure.
Iran’s civil aviation agency declared its airspace open again for international flights. This was a sign the two-week ceasefire remained stable for now.
A major sticking point is Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium. Trump declared Friday that Iran had agreed to hand over its roughly 440 kilogrammes.
Trump said “We’re going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators.” Iran’s foreign ministry had earlier said surrendering it “to the US has never been raised in negotiations”.
The stockpile is thought to be buried deep under rubble from US bombing. The future of the Strait of Hormuz also remains a key issue in the peace talks.
