Iran has said it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again in response to the United States’ blockade of its ports, shortly after saying it had reopened the waterway.
The strait will be closed unless the U.S. permits full freedom of navigation for ships going to and from Iran, Iran said. The U.S. blockade began last week after peace negotiations collapsed, though the countries’ two-week ceasefire officially remains in place.
“No vessel is to move from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman,” said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.
“Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted.”
Iran had said that the strait was open on Friday due to Israel and Lebanon reaching a ceasefire. Ships were required to use a specific route in coordination with Iran’s maritime authorities, per Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Two Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker in the strait on Saturday as Iran closed the strait again, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
A container ship was also hit by an unknown projectile near Oman’s northeastern coast, the UKMTO said.
U.S. President Donald Trump called the attacks on these ships “A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement” in a Truth Social post.
The U.S. “is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran” if Iran does not agree to a peace deal, Trump claimed. The Geneva conventions prohibit attacking civilian infrastructure.
According to Trump, the U.S. has also seized an Iranian-flagged ship attempting to sail through the blockade.
