• Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz again just hours after reopening it
• Several ships were already moving through the waterway when the closure was announced
• Tehran said the renewed closure was a response to the continued US naval blockade

Iran’s military announced on Saturday, April 18, that it had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, only hours after reopening the crucial shipping route.

The move came while more than a dozen commercial vessels were already moving through the waterway, creating fresh uncertainty around one of the world’s most important oil and gas transit routes.

The back-and-forth over the Strait of Hormuz has also raised questions about the United States President Donald Trump’s recent optimism that a peace agreement between Iran, the United States and Israel was close.

On Friday, April 17, Tehran had reopened the strait following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon aimed at ending Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah. The decision briefly reassured global markets, sending oil prices lower.

However, Iran warned that the route could be shut again after Trump insisted a US naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place until a broader peace agreement was reached.

Later on Saturday morning, Iranian state television quoted military central command as saying that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status” and “is under strict management and control of the armed forces”, describing the move as a response to the ongoing US blockade.

At the time of the announcement, maritime tracking platforms showed several ships attempting to pass through the narrow channel.

Some vessels stayed close to Iranian territorial waters, reportedly following guidance from Tehran, while others signalled their identities as Indian or Chinese ships in an apparent effort to stress neutrality.

By 10:30 GMT on Saturday, at least eight oil and gas tankers had successfully crossed the strait. However, a similar number of vessels appeared to turn back after beginning their journeys out of the Gulf.

The renewed closure comes with only four days left before the end of the two-week ceasefire in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

Despite the renewed tensions, Trump continued to express confidence that an agreement could soon be reached. On Friday, he described the day as “GREAT AND BRILLIANT,” while also praising Pakistan’s role in the negotiations.

Pakistan has emerged as a major mediator in the conflict. Field Marshal Asim Munir completed a three-day visit to Iran on Saturday, where he met with senior Iranian leaders in a bid to support peace efforts.

At the same time, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey to build further support for the negotiations.

Egypt also expressed optimism about the talks. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo and Islamabad were hoping to secure a final agreement “in the coming days”.

Pakistan hosted a previous round of direct peace talks last weekend, attended by US Vice President JD Vance, and another round of discussions is expected in Islamabad later this week.

The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran despite ongoing diplomatic talks. The strikes reportedly killed Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and several top officials.

The fighting quickly spread across the region, with Iran targeting US interests in the Gulf and Hezbollah launching attacks on Israel from Lebanon.

In another sign that the ceasefire remains partly intact, Iran’s civil aviation agency announced that the country’s airspace had reopened, allowing international flights to pass through eastern Iran.

Still, two major issues remain unresolved in the negotiations: Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium and the future status of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump told AFP on Friday, April 17, that “we’re very close to having a deal,” adding that there were “no sticking points at all” left in negotiations with Tehran.

Later, during an event in Arizona, Trump claimed Iran had agreed to surrender its estimated 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent.

“We’re going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators,” he said.

Iran, however, strongly denied that its uranium stockpile would be handed over.

“Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on state television.

“Transfer of Iran’s enriched uranium to the US has never been raised in negotiations.”

Meanwhile, ordinary Iranians remain largely disconnected from the outside world, as internet monitoring group Netblocks reported that the nationwide internet blackout imposed at the start of the conflict had entered its 50th day.

Trump claims China has agreed not to supply weapons to Iran after Xi talks

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the United States President Donald Trump said that China has agreed not to supply weapons to Iran, adding that he received personal assurances from Chinese President Xi Jinping during recent diplomatic exchanges.

Trump said Beijing had committed to refraining from sending arms to Tehran. He also suggested that Xi would welcome him warmly during an upcoming visit scheduled for 14–15 May in Beijing.

Trump reiterated that Xi had “essentially” confirmed China would not provide military equipment to Iran. He said he had written to the Chinese leader expressing concern about reports of arms transfers.