Iran said Saturday it was reimposing restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, blaming the move on a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and signaling a return to tight controls over one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
The Wall Street Journal reported that about 20 ships lined up to cross the Strait of Hormuz turned back toward Oman after Iran’s announcement that it was tightening controls over the waterway again, as new maritime security reports pointed to fresh violence in and around the chokepoint.
Britain’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, or UKMTO, said Saturday afternoon that the captain of a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz reported that two boats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard approached the vessel and opened fire. According to the report, no crew members were hurt and the tanker remained safe.
Another tanker reported that it had been hit by gunfire while trying to cross the strait. Reuters, citing maritime security and shipping sources, reported that at least two merchant vessels came under fire while attempting the passage.
The announcement came hours after vessel-tracking data showed the first major convoy of tankers moving through the strait since the conflict began, underscoring the fragility of the latest diplomatic opening.
In a statement, Iran said a limited number of commercial ships and oil tankers had been allowed to pass under earlier understandings reached in negotiations, but accused the United States of “piracy” under the guise of a blockade. It said control of the strait had been restored to its previous status and that the strategic waterway would remain under close Iranian supervision unless Washington lifted restrictions on ships traveling to and from Iran.
On the Telegram channel of Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, a message posted after the renewed closure said that “Iran’s navy is ready to inflict new bitter defeats on the enemies.” Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a powerful but largely behind-the-scenes figure in Iran, has not appeared publicly, his voice has not been heard and his condition remains unclear.
The navy of the Revolutionary Guards said any violation of agreements by the United States would be met with an appropriate response. It added that as long as ships traveling to and from Iran remain under threat, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz would remain unchanged.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, wrote: “We warned you, but you did not listen. Now enjoy the return of the Strait of Hormuz to the ‘status quo.’”
The renewed restrictions followed a weekend of conflicting signals from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he had secured everything he wanted from Tehran: the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a commitment that Iran would allow enriched uranium to be removed, and an end to Iranian support for proxy groups in the Middle East. Iran rejected those claims.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Trump of making multiple false statements and said Tehran would not be swayed by what he described as media warfare and efforts to shape public opinion.
Trump kept up the pressure overnight in remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One, saying that if no agreement is reached, the ceasefire may not be extended. He said the blockade on Iranian ports would continue and warned that the United States could be “dropping bombs again,” while also saying he still believed a deal would be reached.
The Wall Street Journal reported that dozens of leaders gathered Friday for talks, led by Britain and France, on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. During that meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social that a breakthrough had been reached and that the strait would reopen, according to the report. Afterward, French President Emmanuel Macron said encouraging developments should be viewed cautiously, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said any progress needed to be backed by a permanent and workable proposal.
By Saturday morning, ship-tracking data showed a convoy of eight tankers leaving the Persian Gulf through the strait, in what Reuters described as the first significant movement of ships there in weeks. Sky News reported that at least six tankers had made the passage. Iran had said a day earlier that the strait would remain fully open during the Lebanon ceasefire while talks with the United States continued over a broader agreement.
Iranian and U.S. sources say another round of talks could take place Monday in Pakistan, as regional and Western governments try to turn the temporary easing into a more durable arrangement. But Saturday’s Iranian announcement suggested that any broader reopening of Hormuz remains tied to the dispute over U.S. pressure on Iranian shipping and ports.
First published: 11:59, 04.18.26