Iran’s military declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday, its military command announced, hours after reopening it and with more than a dozen commercial ships passing through the vital waterway. The back-and-forth over the Strait raises questions about US President Donald Trump’s optimism that a peace deal to end the US-Israeli war with Iran was “very close”.
Tehran had on Friday declared the strait open after a ceasefire was agreed in Lebanon to halt Israel’s war with Hezbollah. This announcement led to elation in global markets and a drop in oil prices. However, with Trump insisting that a US naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a deal was concluded, Tehran threatened to shut the strait once more.
Late on Saturday morning, Iranian state TV reported that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status” and “is under strict management and control of the armed forces,” calling the decision a response to a continued US blockade. This announcement came as maritime tracking sites showed several ships making a dash through the narrow waterway, hugging close to Iranian territorial waters as instructed by Tehran.
By 1030 GMT on Saturday, at least eight oil and gas tankers had crossed the strait, but as many ships appeared to have turned back, having begun to exit the Gulf. Some ships broadcast their identity as Indian or Chinese in an apparent attempt to show their neutrality.
There are only four days remaining before the end of the two-week ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran, which was launched by Washington and its ally on February 28. Nevertheless, President Trump appeared convinced that a deal could be finished shortly, declaring Friday “GREAT AND BRILLIANT,” and making social media posts praising Pakistan, the talks mediator.
Islamabad’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, completed a three-day visit to Iran on Saturday aimed at securing the peace deal, during which he met Iran’s top leadership. While Munir was in Iran, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey to push the peace process. Egypt, also involved in diplomatic efforts, appeared upbeat, with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stating Cairo and Islamabad hoped to secure a final agreement “in the coming days”.
Islamabad has emerged as the lead mediator during the conflict, hosting a marathon round of direct peace talks last weekend attended by US Vice President JD Vance. A second round of talks is expected in the Pakistani capital this coming week, with envoys hoping to end the war that was started by the US and Israel on February 28.
The allies launched a massive wave of surprise attacks on Iran, despite ongoing diplomatic talks, which resulted in the death of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and numerous senior leaders. The war rapidly spread across the region, with Iran targeting US interests in the Gulf and Hezbollah drawing Lebanon into the conflict by launching rockets at Israel.
In a sign that the two-week ceasefire remained stable, Iran’s civil aviation agency declared its airspace open again, with international flights able to transit Iran via the east of the country. However, two major sticking points in the peace talks — Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium and the future of the Strait of Hormuz — appeared to be unresolved.
Speaking by phone with AFP on Friday, Trump stated “we’re very close to having a deal,” adding that there were “no sticking points at all” left with Tehran. Later that day, at an event in Arizona, the president declared that Iran had agreed to hand over its approximately 440 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 per cent. However, hours before, Iran’s foreign ministry had stated that its stockpile was not going anywhere. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV, “Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere,” and “Transfer of Iran’s enriched uranium to the US has never been raised in negotiations.”
Ordinary Iranians remained cut off from the international internet, with monitor Netblocks announcing on Saturday that the blackout implemented at the start of the war had reached its 50th day.
