Stories of Iranian gunboats opening fireplace on a tanker in strait, after Tehran mentioned it’s closing the waterway till the US lifts the blockade of its ports.
Revealed On 18 Apr 2026
Iran says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz once more, calling the choice a response to a continued blockade of its ports by the US.
The Iranian navy on Saturday mentioned management of the strategic waterway, by way of which 20 p.c of the worldwide oil flows, has “returned to its earlier state”, with studies saying Iranian gunboats fired at a service provider vessel because it tried to cross.
Advisable Tales
listing of 4 gadgetsfinish of listing
The closure of the strait got here hours after it was reopened, with greater than a dozen industrial ships passing by way of the waterway, after a US-mediated 10-day ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Lebanon.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday mentioned in an announcement, cited by the Iranian media, that the continuing US blockade of Iranian ports represented “acts of piracy and maritime theft”, including that the management over Hormuz is “below the strict administration and management of the armed forces”.
“Till the US restores full freedom of navigation for vessels travelling from Iran to their locations and again, the standing of the Strait of Hormuz will stay tightly managed and in its earlier situation,” it mentioned.
By 10:30 GMT on Saturday, no fewer than eight oil and gas tankers had crossed the strait, however a minimum of as many ships appeared to have turned again, having begun to exit the Gulf, the AFP information company reported.
The toing and froing over the strait forged doubt on US President Donald Trump’s optimism the day earlier than, {that a} peace deal to finish the US-Israel struggle on Iran was “very shut”.
Trump had celebrated the reopening of the strait on Friday, however warned the US assaults would resume till Iran agreed to a deal, which included its nuclear programme.
“Possibly I gained’t lengthen it,” Trump informed reporters on board Air Power One concerning the short-term ceasefire settlement in place. “So that you’ll have a blockade, and sadly we’ll have to start out dropping bombs once more.”
Requested whether or not a possible deal may very well be made on this brief timeframe, Trump mentioned: “I feel it’s going to occur.”
However Iran says no date has been agreed for one more spherical of peace talks, accusing the US of “betraying” diplomacy in all negotiations.
The conflicting and altering studies concerning the strait and the way a lot freedom ships must transit by way of it have deterred many vessels from crossing, based on John-Paul Rodrigue, a maritime transport specialist at Texas A&M College.
“Ships have been trying transit because the announcement, but it surely appears to be like like a lot of them are heading again as a result of the scenario is unclear,” Rodrigue informed Al Jazeera. “There’s contradictory data being issued by all events.”
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi mentioned “uncertainty is the secret” so far as the Strait of Hormuz is anxious.
“Iran is on the lookout for a complete finish to the struggle throughout the area, safety assurances, sanctions aid, the unfreezing of frozen belongings, regional relations – and on prime of all of that – the nuclear file and Iran’s stockpile of extremely enriched uranium,” he mentioned.
“However proper now, uncertainty is the secret. The delicate scenario makes it onerous to speak about the potential of profitable negotiations down the highway.”
