Iran swiftly reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying Saturday that control of the vital waterway “has returned to its previous state” under strict military management and warning it would continue to block transit so long as a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect.
The joint military command’s announcement came a day after Iran’s foreign minister declared the strait “completely open” to commercial vessels for the duration of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Iran had said earlier that commercial traffic could transit only on a “coordinated route” near the northern edge of the strait — a path Tehran said reduced the risk from sea mines — and that military vessels remained prohibited from transiting.
U.S. President Donald Trump, however, made clear the American naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said the blockade would stay “in full force” until Iran completes a transaction with the U.S. and suggested the two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran might not be extended. In social media posts he also thanked Iran for the reopening announcement but reiterated that U.S. restrictions would continue until a deal is fully implemented.
CENTCOM reported that U.S. forces enforcing the blockade had compelled dozens of vessels to turn back. U.S. Central Command said the blockade — which it characterizes as directed at Iranian ports and not the Strait itself — involved more than 10,000 service members, at least 12 ships and some 100 aircraft. CENTCOM at one point said 21 ships had complied with directions to return to Iran since the blockade began; earlier posts put the number at 14 or 19 as operations continued.
The standoff has significant commercial and strategic repercussions. Oil markets swung on the shifting status of the strait: prices fell sharply when Iran first announced the strait reopened, helping push Wall Street to record gains, but renewed restrictions and ongoing uncertainty have kept markets on edge. The U.S. Treasury moved to ease pressure on global oil supplies by issuing a temporary license allowing purchases of certain Russian oil already at sea, extending a prior waiver that aims to blunt supply shocks caused by the conflict. That measure applies only to oil loaded before a specified cutoff and expires in mid-May; it drew criticism from Democrats who said it could undercut sanctions policy.
Diplomacy has been active but fragile. Pakistan has played a key mediating role, brokering the U.S.-Iran two-week ceasefire and helping secure a separate 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon. Pakistani mediators and U.S. officials were reported to be preparing a possible second round of talks in Islamabad. European leaders convened in Paris to discuss ensuring safe passage through the strait, weighing coordinated naval escorts, demining, and intelligence-sharing, while some European leaders did not participate directly in U.S. operations and expressed concern about escalatory rhetoric.
Iranian leaders tied the strait’s status to U.S. actions. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned passage would not remain open if the U.S. blockade continued, and an Iranian military official emphasized that only non-military commercial vessels on designated routes would be allowed to transit, with authorization from the IRGC Navy. The IRGC has threatened to “deal severely” with any military vessels transiting the strait without permission.
Both sides have made public claims about mines and clearance operations. Trump and U.S. officials have posted that Iran, with U.S. help, had removed or was removing sea mines; the U.S. Navy carried out at least one mine-clearing transit. But other reporting cited U.S. officials saying Iran may not have located and removed all mines it had laid, leaving lingering navigational hazards and justifying Iran’s insistence on specific routing for ships.
The military balance in the region shifted as U.S. carriers repositioned: the USS Gerald R. Ford returned to the Middle East after repairs and joined other carriers, with a third headed to the theater, underscoring U.S. readiness should diplomacy falter. U.S. military leaders publicly warned they remain prepared to use force if necessary.
The broader conflict dynamics include violence and humanitarian tolls in Lebanon. Lebanese officials reported thousands killed and more than a million displaced since the escalation began in March; Hezbollah said it would cautiously adhere to the ceasefire but warned its fighters would remain prepared. Israel said it would retain forces in parts of southern Lebanon to guard against imminent threats even as the truce holds.
U.S. and Iranian public statements have diverged on key details of any deal. Trump has repeatedly asserted Iran agreed to suspend aspects of its nuclear program and to relinquish enriched uranium, while Iranian officials denied transfers of enriched material and were careful in confirming any long-term commitments. Questions remain over whether any promises about the strait’s status or Iran’s nuclear activities are finalized or enforceable, especially if the U.S. blockade remains in effect.
On the diplomatic front, G20 finance ministers pressed the U.S. for measures to ease oil market stress, prompting the temporary sanctions relief for certain seaborne Russian oil. European leaders explored collective steps to protect shipping. Pakistan signaled continued support for negotiation efforts, and U.S. officials mulled returning to direct talks in Islamabad as negotiators sought to translate ceasefires into a broader, lasting settlement.
For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point of the standoff: Iran says control and management by its armed forces have resumed and will block transit while the U.S. blockade continues; the U.S. maintains a naval presence and enforcement posture aimed at preventing ships from violating sanctions and contends it is not blockading the strait itself. The situation remains fluid as ceasefires, diplomacy and military postures evolve and market and shipping operators watch for further developments.