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Iran’s military says it will close the Strait of Hormuz in response to the U.S. maintaining its blockade, Iranian state media reports.
Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday the Strait of Hormuz would “completely open” to commercial ships for the remainder of the ceasefire.
Shortly after, U.S. President Donald Trump said the strait was “completely open and ready for business” but that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace deal is reached.
Data from tracking site MarineTraffic shows some tankers crossing the waterway earlier on Saturday.
Trump has also said Iran has “agreed to everything”, including the removal of enriched uranium from the country to the U.S. — a claim Iran denies.
Similarly, the spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters stated:
“Unfortunately, the Americans, with their track record of repeated bad faith, continue to engage in banditry and maritime piracy under the so-called blockade.”
Read More: Trump announces conditional ceasefire with Iran as oil prices plunge
Iran’s FARS News Agency reports that, therefore, control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state, and that this strategic strait is under the strict management and control of Iran’s Armed Forces.
Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said:
“Following previous agreements reached in negotiations, the Islamic Republic of Iran, in good faith, agreed to the managed passage of a limited number of oil tankers and commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. But unfortunately, the Americans, with their history of repeated breaches of promise, continue to engage in banditry and maritime piracy under the guise of a so-called blockade.”
Lieutenant Colonel Zolfaqari added:
“For this reason, the strategic Strait of Hormuz is under the strict management and control of Iran’s Armed Forces.”
The spokesperson further emphasized:
“As long as the United States does not agree to the complete freedom of navigation for vessels from their origin in Iran to their destination and from the destination back to their origin in Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled and in its previous state.”
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