- Iran warns US: Hormuz Strait closure possible if ports remain blockaded.
- Strait reopened amid hopes for de-escalation, but Iran disputes deal claims.
Iran on Saturday warned the United States that it could once again shut the Strait of Hormuz if Washington continues its naval blockade of Iranian ports, just hours after the vital shipping route was reopened following a ceasefire in Lebanon. The reopening had buoyed global markets on Friday and raised hopes of de-escalation, with US President Donald Trump telling AFP that a peace deal was “very close”.
“We’re going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators,” Trump said at an event organised by Turning Point USA in Phoenix. Iran, however, swiftly rejected the claim, maintaining that its enriched uranium stockpile would not be moved. Officials also warned that continued US naval interference could again disrupt the strait — a crucial global trade artery through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows.
What Iran Said?
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a six-point message to Trump, called all the “seven claims” made in “1 hour” are all “false”. He said passage through the Strait of Hormuz would take place only along “designated routes” and with “Iranian authorisation”.
“Whether the Strait is open or closed, and the regulations governing it, will be determined in the field — not on social media,” he wrote on X, adding that “media warfare and attempts to shape public opinion are part of conflict, but the Iranian nation will not be influenced by such tactics.”
۱- رئیس جمهور آمریکا در یک ساعت هفت ادعا مطرح کرد که هر هفت ادعا کذب است.
۲- با این دروغگوییها در جنگ پیروز نشدند و حتما در مذاکره هم راه به جایی نخواهند برد.
۳- با ادامهٔ محاصره، تنگهٔ هرمز باز نخواهد ماند.— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 17, 2026
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also stressed that decisions regarding the waterway are made “on the ground”, not online. “The opening and closing of the Strait of Hormuz is not decided on the internet; it is determined in the field, and our armed forces know how to respond to any action by the other side,” he said.
‘Naval Blockade Violates Ceasefire’
He further warned that any continuation of the blockade would provoke a response from Tehran. “What they describe as a naval blockade will certainly be met with an appropriate response. Such a blockade would violate the ceasefire, and Iran will take the necessary measures,” Baqaei added.
Despite the rising tensions, Trump struck an optimistic tone, describing developments as “GREAT AND BRILLIANT” in a series of posts. He praised mediation efforts by Pakistan and Gulf allies, while dismissing any role for NATO, urging the alliance to “stay away”.
