Hormuz Strait shut, Iran ‘considers’ new US proposals

Iranian authorities person reversed a determination to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reports accidental two Indian-flagged ships ‌came under occurrence successful the waterway.

Iran says it is tightening power implicit the Strait of Hormuz, warning mariners the vital vigor way is again closed, but US President Donald Trump says Iran cannot blackmail the United States by shutting the waterway.

The navy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had extended the closure to the corridor it had earlier designated for the harmless transition of vessels done the waterway and declared the strait afloat closed until the United States blockade connected Iranian ports and ships is lifted.

In a statement precocious connected Saturday carried by Iran’s state media, the navy warned that immoderate violating vessel would beryllium targeted.

Shipping sources said astatine slightest two vessels reported coming under occurrence and being deed while trying to transit the strait.

India aboriginal said the Iranian ambassador successful New Delhi had been summoned and that it had expressed heavy interest to him that two Indian-flagged ships ‌had travel under occurrence successful the strait.

State media successful Iran quoted the Supreme National Security Council arsenic saying Iranian power implicit the strait included demanding the outgo of costs related to security, information and biology extortion services.

State television besides quoted the Supreme National Security Council arsenic saying the US had enactment guardant caller proposals aft talks mediated by Pakistan successful caller days.

Iran was considering them but had not yet responded, it said.

WATCH IN FULL: President Donald J. Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One pic.twitter.com/y60BWCkVmD— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 18, 2026

There was nary contiguous motion of nonstop US-Iran talks taking spot astatine the weekend, contempt Trump saying connected Friday that negotiations would take place.

Iran’s renewed tough messaging caused caller uncertainty astir the conflict, raising the hazard that lipid and state shipments done the strait could stay disrupted conscionable arsenic the US weighs whether to widen the fragile ceasefire.

Trump said the ‌US was having “very bully conversations” with ‌Iran but that Iran wanted to adjacent ⁠the strait again.

Iran could not blackmail the US, helium said.

Trump stressed that some sides were still negotiating.

“We’re talking to them, and you know, we’re taking a tough stand,” helium said, adding that “we’ll person some accusation by the extremity of the day”.

Maritime information and shipping sources said some merchant vessels had received vigor messages from Iran’s navy saying nary ships ​were allowed done the waterway, reversing Friday’s signs that traffic mightiness resume.

Maritime trackers had earlier shown a convoy of 8 tankers transiting the constrictive transition successful the archetypal large question of ships since the US-Israeli war connected Iran began 7 weeks ago.

Hours earlier, Trump had cited “some beauteous bully news” astir Iran, declining to elaborate.

But helium besides said warring mightiness resume without a bid woody by Wednesday, when the two-week ceasefire expires.

Iran had announced its temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz pursuing a abstracted US-brokered 10-day ceasefire statement connected Thursday betwixt Israel and Lebanon.

Israel invaded parts of southern Lebanon aft the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militant radical joined the warring successful aboriginal March.

But connected Saturday Iran’s equipped forces bid said transit done the strait had reverted to a state of strict Iranian subject control, citing what it described arsenic ⁠repeated US violations and acts of “piracy” under the guise of a blockade.

The spokesperson said Iran had earlier agreed, “in bully faith,” to the managed transition ‌of a constricted fig of lipid tankers ​and commercialized vessels pursuing negotiations but said continued US actions had forced Iran to reconstruct tighter controls connected shipping done the strategic choke point.

US Central Command said successful a statement that United States forces were enforcing a maritime blockade of Iran but did not remark connected ​the latest Iranian ‌actions.

with DPA and AP