Iran said it was tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz, warning mariners that the vital waterway was again closed, escalating tensions with the United States.
Tehran said the move was in response to what it described as a continued U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, calling it a violation of a fragile ceasefire. Mojtaba Khamenei said the country’s navy was prepared to inflict “new bitter defeats” on its adversaries.
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s actions, saying Tehran could not “blackmail” the United States by attempting to shut the strait, though he added that “very good conversations” were ongoing between the two sides.
Shipping and maritime security sources reported that at least two vessels came under fire while attempting to transit the narrow passage. Some merchant ships also received radio warnings from Iran’s navy instructing them not to enter the waterway, reversing earlier indications that traffic might resume.
In Mumbai, an Indian government source said India had summoned Iran’s ambassador after an Indian-flagged oil tanker was attacked while crossing the strait.
The latest developments have heightened uncertainty around the ongoing conflict and raised fears of prolonged disruption to global oil and gas flows. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical artery through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s energy supplies pass.
Earlier শনিবার, maritime tracking data showed a convoy of eight tankers moving through the strait, marking the first significant shipping activity since the conflict began seven weeks ago. However, renewed hostilities now threaten to halt such movements again, complicating efforts to maintain a tenuous ceasefire.