Iran announced it had reversed its brief reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying control of the strategic waterway has returned to strict military management. Tehran warned it will continue to restrict transit so long as the United States maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The joint military command’s declaration followed a contradictory statement by Iran’s foreign minister the previous day, who had said the strait was ‘completely open’ to commercial shipping for the duration of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Iran earlier allowed commercial vessels to use a ‘coordinated route’ near the northern edge of the strait — a corridor Tehran said reduced exposure to sea mines — while keeping military ships barred.
U.S. President Donald Trump made clear American pressure would remain. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports would stay ‘in full force’ until Tehran completes a specific transaction with Washington, and suggested the temporary truce with Iran might not be extended. In social media messages he thanked Iran for the reopening announcement but reiterated that U.S. restrictions would stay until any deal is fully implemented.
U.S. Central Command reported its forces enforcing the blockade had forced dozens of vessels to turn back. CENTCOM characterized the operation as targeting Iranian ports rather than the strait itself and said it involved more than 10,000 service members, at least 12 ships and roughly 100 aircraft. The command said at one point that 21 ships had complied with instructions to return to Iran since the blockade began, though earlier updates gave slightly different totals as operations continued.
The standoff has immediate commercial and strategic consequences. Oil markets reacted to the changing status of the strait: prices dropped sharply when Iran first announced the reopening, which helped lift U.S. stock markets, but renewed restrictions and persistent uncertainty have kept traders on edge. To ease potential supply shocks, the U.S. Treasury issued a temporary license allowing purchases of certain Russian oil already at sea, extending a prior waiver that applies only to cargoes loaded before a specified cutoff and that expires in mid-May. Some Democrats criticized the move, arguing it could weaken sanctions policy.
Diplomatic activity has been intensive but fragile. Pakistan played a central mediating role, brokering a 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 for possible follow-up talks in Islamabad. European leaders met in Paris to discuss measures to ensure safe passage through the strait, including coordinated naval escorts, demining efforts and intelligence-sharing; some European governments expressed reluctance to take part directly in U.S. operations amid concerns about escalation.
Iranian officials tied the strait’s openness to U.S. actions. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned passage would not remain open if the U.S. blockade continued, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said only nonmilitary commercial vessels on designated routes would be permitted to transit with IRGC Navy authorization. The IRGC has threatened to respond forcefully to any military vessels attempting to pass without permission.
Both sides have made competing claims about naval mines and clearance operations. U.S. officials and President Trump said Iran had removed or was removing mines with U.S. assistance; the U.S. Navy conducted at least one mine-clearing transit. But some U.S. officials also indicated Iran may not have found and lifted all mines it had laid, leaving persistent hazards and reinforcing Tehran’s insistence on routing and restrictions.
Military postures shifted as U.S. carriers repositioned in the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford returned to the Middle East after repairs to join other carrier strike groups, with a third carrier reportedly en route, underscoring U.S. readiness should diplomacy fail. U.S. commanders warned they remain prepared to use force if necessary.
Violence and humanitarian consequences in Lebanon continue to be part of the broader conflict dynamics. Lebanese authorities reported thousands killed and more than a million displaced since the escalation began in March. Hezbollah said it would cautiously observe the ceasefire while keeping fighters on alert, and Israel said it would retain forces in parts of southern Lebanon to guard against threats even as the truce holds.
U.S. and Iranian public accounts also diverge on details of any agreement. President Trump has asserted Tehran agreed to suspend some nuclear activities and relinquish enriched uranium, while Iranian officials denied transfers of enriched material and were cautious about confirming long-term commitments. Whether any promises about the strait or nuclear matters are final or enforceable remains unclear, especially if the U.S. blockade persists.
For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point: Iran says armed forces control transit and will block ships while U.S. port restrictions continue, and the United States maintains a naval enforcement posture aimed at preventing sanctions violations. The situation is fluid as ceasefires, diplomacy and military deployments evolve and markets and maritime operators watch for further developments.