Iranian gunboats reportedly opened fire on a tanker in the strait after the Iranian government announced it would blockade the waterway until the US lifts its port blockade.
Published April 18, 2026
Iran has announced it has re-blocked the Strait of Hormuz, saying the decision was in response to the continued blockade of its ports by the United States.
Iran’s military announced Saturday that control of the strategic waterway, through which 20% of the world’s oil flows, had “returned to its previous status,” and reports said Iranian gunboats opened fire on commercial ships attempting to cross.
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The closure of the strait came hours after Israel and Lebanon reopened to more than a dozen commercial ships after a 10-day cease-fire agreement was reached brokered by the United States.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Saturday that the ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is an “act of piracy and maritime theft,” adding that control of Hormuz is “under the strict control and control of the military,” as quoted by Iranian media.
“Until the United States restores full freedom of navigation for ships traveling from Iran to and from their destinations, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled and the previous status quo.”
By 10:30 GMT on Saturday, at least eight oil and gas tankers had crossed the strait, but at least as many vessels appeared to have started leaving the bay and turned back, news agency AFP reported.
The tremor over the strait cast doubt on US President Donald Trump’s optimism a day earlier that a peace deal to end the US-Israel war with Iran was “very close”.
President Trump celebrated the reopening of the strait on Friday but warned that U.S. attacks would resume until Iran agrees to a deal that includes its nuclear program.
President Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the temporary ceasefire agreement “may not be extended.” “So we’re going to have a blockade, but unfortunately we’re going to have to start dropping bombs again.”
When asked if it was possible for an agreement to be reached in such a short period of time, President Trump said, “I think it will happen.”
But Iran said no date had been agreed for the next round of peace talks and accused the US of “betraying” diplomacy in all negotiations.
Conflicting and changing reports about the strait and how much freedom ships need to pass through it are deterring many ships from passing through it, said John Paul Rodrigue, a shipping expert at Texas A&M University.
“Since the announcement, ships have been attempting to pass, but many are turning back due to the uncertainty of the situation,” Rodrigue told Al Jazeera. “There is conflicting information coming from all parties.”
“Uncertainty is the name of the game” as far as the Strait of Hormuz is concerned, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi said in a report from Tehran.
“Iran wants a comprehensive end to wars across the region, security, lifting of sanctions, unfreezing of frozen assets, regional relations and all of that, plus nuclear documents and Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.”
“However, uncertainty is the name of the game at this point. The fragile situation makes it difficult to talk about the chances of success in further negotiations.”
