Iran on Saturday reimposed restrictions on vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon raised fresh doubts about an anticipated peace deal between the United States and Iran. Tehran broadcast that the waterway was closed to commercial shipping and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy warned vessels not to leave anchorages in the Persian Gulf or Sea of Oman, saying approaching the strait “will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the violating vessel will be targeted.” One supertanker also reported being fired upon, according to shipowners in the area who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move came a day after Tehran had signalled the strait would reopen, and follows weeks of fighting that began with a US-Israel bombing campaign. Iranian officials accused the US of maintaining a naval blockade and called it maritime “banditry.” Mehdi Tabatabaei, spokesman for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, said, “With repeated breaches of trust and exploitation of this great concession for propaganda purposes, the strait was blocked again.”
US President Donald Trump said Washington would not be blackmailed and asserted a firm response. He told reporters that Iran “wanted to close up the strait again” and that the US was “taking a tough stand.” The Wall Street Journal reported that the US military is preparing to board Iran-linked tankers and could seize commercial ships in international waters in coming days, citing anonymous American officials; the White House did not immediately comment on that report.
Shipping activity around the narrow passage was disrupted. The UK Navy said IRGC gunboats approached a tanker that was later fired at; a container ship was reported struck by an unknown projectile off Oman. Several oil carriers turned away after attempting to transit; others, including the very large crude carrier FPMC C Lord, continued toward the Gulf of Oman and ports in the United Arab Emirates. Before the war in February, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through Hormuz.
Tensions along the Lebanon border also rose, threatening a fragile ceasefire linked to the Hormuz arrangement. The Israel Defense Forces said it struck “saboteurs” and a “terrorist cell” in south Lebanon after alleged violations of the truce. French President Emmanuel Macron said a French soldier was killed in an attack on UN peacekeepers, and he suggested Hezbollah-widely seen as Iran’s proxy-was responsible.
Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear material remain a core sticking point. Trump said there were “very good conversations” with Iran and indicated Tehran had agreed to suspend its nuclear program, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei insisted enriched uranium “is as sacred to us as Iran’s soil, and it won’t be transferred anywhere under any circumstances.” Reports say one proposal under discussion would see the US release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Tehran surrendering its enriched uranium stockpile; Trump has publicly rejected releasing the funds.
Market reaction was swift: oil and fuel prices tumbled on hopes the conflict might ease, with Brent crude dropping about 9% on Friday to near $90 a barrel and dated Brent falling below $100 for the first time since March 11. Analysts warn any deal to end hostilities would likely be limited and fragile, and Iran’s leaders have stressed they will secure the strait’s rights “either at the negotiating table or in the field,” leaving the region’s security and energy flows uncertain.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/strait-of-hormuz-chaos-lebanon-israel-clashes-dent-donald-trumps-peace-deal-hopes-11378215#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-04-19 10:35:00
