Iran says Strait of Hormuz ‘closed again’ until US blockade lifted | The Independent

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on Saturday in response to the Trump administration’s naval blockade of Iranian ports, with the Revolutionary Guards stating the waterway would remain shut until the US military lifts its restrictions on Iranian vessels. Two Indian-flagged tankers reported coming under gunfire in the channel shortly after Iran’s announcement, escalating tensions in one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.

Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei threatened “bitter defeats” on enemies, effectively undermining prospects for weekend peace negotiations between the nations. The threat reflects Tehran’s hardening stance as Trump administration pressure tactics intensify following the collapse of earlier diplomatic efforts in Pakistan.

Trump convened a crisis meeting to address the escalating situation in the Strait, where approximately 21 percent of global petroleum passes through daily. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is currently evaluating new US proposals that were transmitted through Pakistani intermediaries, though the blockade remains a fundamental point of contention.

Trump publicly warned Tehran that it “can’t blackmail us,” characterizing Iran’s closure announcement as coercive rather than a legitimate response to American military aggression. The administration’s threats to eliminate Iranian vessels violating the blockade and consideration of military strikes have narrowed diplomatic pathways and intensified the crisis.

The standoff represents a significant escalation from Trump’s announcement of the blockade following failed negotiations, with both sides now locked in a direct confrontation over control of the strategic waterway and regional naval dominance.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-iran-war-latest-strait-of-hormuz-b2960383.html)