Iran said on Saturday it had reimposed control over the Strait of Hormuz, hours after reopening the route used to ship about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
State television quoted military command as saying the waterway was back under “strict management and control of the armed forces”, describing the move as a response to an ongoing naval blockade by the United States.
Maritime tracking sites showed several commercial vessels moving quickly through the narrow passage. Some ships sailed close to Iranian territorial waters and broadcast Indian or Chinese identities to signal neutrality. By mid-morning GMT, at least eight oil and gas tankers had crossed, while several others appeared to turn back.
The development casts doubt on comments by US President Donald Trump, who said a day earlier that a deal to end the war between Washington, Israel and Tehran was “very close”.
Iran had reopened the strait after a ceasefire in Lebanon halted Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah, a move that briefly pushed oil prices lower before Tehran warned it could shut the passage again if the blockade continued.
Four days remain before the two week ceasefire in the conflict expires. Mediation led by Pakistan has intensified, with the army chief, Asim Munir, visiting Tehran and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelling across the Middle East to support talks. Egypt also said a final agreement could be reached in the coming days.
Talks are expected to resume in Islamabad this week after earlier meetings attended by US Vice President JD Vance.
Disagreement over Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium remains unresolved. Trump said Tehran had agreed to hand over about 440 kilogrammes enriched to 60 per cent. Iran rejected the claim. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the uranium would not be transferred and had never been part of negotiations.