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Iran closes Hormuz Strait again over US blockade, ships reverse course

Satellite image shows ship movement at Strait of Hormuz on April 17 (EUROPEAN UNION/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Handout via REUTERS)
18 Apr 2026 16:05

TEHRAN (AFP)

Iran's military declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday, its military command said, hours after reopening it and with numerous commercial ships abandoning attempts to pass through the vital waterway.

On Friday, Tehran had declared the strait, which usually carries a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, open, which prompted elation in global markets and sent oil prices plunging.

With Trump insisting that a US naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a deal was concluded, Tehran threatened to shutter the strait once more.

Then, late on Saturday morning, Iran's central military command said that, in response to the US blockade, "control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status" and "is under strict management and control of the armed forces.

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