Iran has said that it has reimposed its previous restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz following US President Donald Trump’s refusal to lift the blockade of Iran.
The country’s joint military command said “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state… under strict management and control of the armed forces,” adding that this would continue for as long as a US blockade was in force.
Trump told reporters the ceasefire, set to expire on 21 April, may not be extended, saying: “Maybe I won’t extend it, but the blockade [on Iranian ports] is going to remain,” adding, “so you have a blockade, and unfortunately we have to start dropping bombs again.”
He also said that negotiations would be ongoing over the weekend.
“I expect things to go well. Many of these things have been negotiated and agreed to,” Trump said despite his threat.
Iran had initially responded by issuing its own warnings with parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf writing on X, “with the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open.”
“What they call a naval blockade will definitely be met with an appropriate response from Iran,” he added.
Despite the uncertainty, shipping tracker data shows convoys of ships transiting out of the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, including four liquefied petroleum gas carriers and several oil and chemical tankers, according to MarineTraffic.
