Iran Keeps Strait of Hormuz Closed as US Blockade Deepens Gulf Tensions

Iran maintained its refusal on Thursday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while a US naval blockade remained in force, despite an extended ceasefire. Tehran also announced the seizure of two vessels attempting to pass through the strategic waterway.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late on Wednesday that it had ordered 31 vessels to turn back or return to port as part of what it described as a blockade on Iran.

With uncertainty growing over whether the conflict could resume, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would extend the truce to allow more time for Pakistan-mediated peace talks.

Iran said it welcomed Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts but did not directly comment on Trump’s statement.

“A ceasefire has no meaning if it is undermined by a naval blockade,” said Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation during the first round of talks in Islamabad.

He added that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was impossible while the ceasefire was being openly violated.

Oil prices rose sharply before easing on Thursday after Iran’s warning. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate climbed more than four per cent to $96.73 a barrel, while Brent crude rose 3.62 per cent to $105.63 before both retreated slightly.

Trump said he wanted to give Iran’s “fractured” leadership time to produce a proposal, in what many analysts viewed as an attempt to avoid a renewed war while preserving political leverage.

He told the New York Post that talks could resume in Pakistan within two to three days, although Iran has not confirmed participation. Vice President JD Vance also postponed a planned visit to Islamabad on Tuesday.

Trump further claimed that Iran had halted plans, at his request, to execute eight women arrested during recent anti-government protests. Iran’s judiciary dismissed the claim as “false news”, saying the women had never faced the death penalty.

Ships Seized

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said naval forces intercepted and redirected two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage through which around one-fifth of global oil supplies move.

The vessels were identified as the Panama-flagged container ship MSC Francesca and the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas.

Panama’s foreign ministry confirmed the seizure of MSC Francesca, calling it a serious threat to maritime security and an unnecessary escalation.

UK-based maritime security agencies also reported incidents involving gunboats in the strait. One commercial vessel said it had come under fire from a Revolutionary Guards craft about 15 nautical miles north-east of Oman, damaging the bridge but causing no casualties, according to UKMTO.

Under Trump’s orders, the US Navy has sought to restrict vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports in an effort to increase economic pressure without entering full-scale war.

Amid the standoff, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday that Secretary of the Navy John Phelan would leave office immediately. No reason was given for his sudden departure.

Iran has since declared that ships must seek permission before entering or leaving the Gulf through the strait. Tehran had earlier pledged free passage during the ceasefire, but reversed its position after Trump announced the blockade.

The US Defence Department said on Tuesday that American forces had intercepted and boarded a “stateless sanctioned” vessel believed to be linked to Iranian activity. Both Washington and Tehran continue to accuse each other of breaching the ceasefire.