• Iranian military says US actions ‘forced’ it to restore tighter controls after brief reopening
• Trump says won’t be ‘blackmailed’ by Tehran actions
• Khamenei warns navy ready to make ‘enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats’
• Iran says new proposals from US under review, no second round until agreement on framework

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: While the Strait of Hormuz was briefly opened for the managed passage of oil tankers and commercial vessels, Iran resorted to shut down the chokepoint once again soon after the US forces stopped nearly two dozen vessels enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

In a statement on Saturday, the US army said 23 ships have complied with orders to turn back towards Iran since its blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas.

The move provoked a strong response from Iran, and the vital maritime route was closed once again.

Iran’s army spokesperson said Iran had earlier agreed, in good faith, to the managed passage of a limited number of oil tankers and commercial vessels following negotiations, but continued US actions had forced Tehran to restore tighter controls on shipping through the strategic chokepoint.

Earlier, Iran had agreed to open the strait after the ceasefire in Lebanon in line with its two-week ceasefire agreement reached with the US that brought the much-needed pause to hostilities.

According to Reuters, at least two vessels reported coming under fire while trying to transit the waterway after Tehran warned mariners that the energy lifeline was again closed. Some merchant vessels received radio messages from Iran’s navy saying no ships were allowed through the waterway, the news agency reported.

At least two vessels reported being hit by gunfire as they attempted to cross the strait, Reuters said quoting sources. The incidents were reported in waters between the Qeshm and Larak islands and the vessels turned back without completing the crossing. The reports noted that the two ships that came under fire were Indian-flagged. The incident was also confirmed by the Indian foreign ministry, which summoned the Iranian envoy for an explanation.

Earlier, maritime trackers had shown a convoy of eight tankers transiting the narrow passage in the first major movement of ships since the US-Israeli war on Iran began seven weeks ago.

Sabre-rattling continues

As tensions ran high in the Hormuz strait, the Iranian and US leaders kept engaged in sabre-rattling over the fate of the vital energy route. Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been in public since the first attack on Iran, said Tehran’s navy was ready to defeat the US forces. In a statement carried on his Telegram channel, Mr Khamenei said Iran’s “brave navy stands ready to make the enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats”. However, US President Donald Trump said Washington would not be blackmailed by Iran over Hormuz. He warned Iran not to “blackmail” Washington with its flip-flopping on the fate of the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’re talking to them. They wanted to close up the strait again — you know, as they’ve been doing for years — and they can’t blackmail us,” Trump said at a White House event, according to AFP.

Hours earlier, the US president had cited “some pretty good news” about Iran, declining to elaborate. But he also said fighting might resume without a peace deal by Wednesday, when the ceasefire expires.

Trump told Reuters there would probably be more direct talks between Iran and the US this weekend. A Pakistani source aware of mediation efforts told the news agency that a meeting between Iran and the US could produce an initial memorandum of understanding, followed by a comprehensive peace agreement within 60 days.

New proposals from US

Iran’s top national security body said the country was reviewing “new proposals” received from the United States, even as it warned that its negotiators would cut no compromises with Washington.

“In recent days, with the presence of the commander of the Pakistani army in Tehran as an intermediary and mediator in the negotiations, new proposals have been put forward by the Americans, which the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently reviewing and has not yet responded to,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement.

It went on to add that Iran’s negotiating delegation “will not make even the slightest compromise, retreat or leniency, and will defend with all its strength the interests of the Iranian nation”, reported AFP.

No date set for next round of talks

Iran’s deputy foreign minister said in Antalya that no date has been set for the next round of Iran-US peace talks brokered by Pakistan after the initial round remained inconclusive.

“Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date,” Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists. “We hope that as soon as we can finalise that, then we can move on to the next step.”

Mr Khatibzadeh said both sides were currently focused on finalising a framework of understanding before proceeding with further negotiations. “We do not want to enter into any negotiation or meeting that is destined to fail and could serve as a pretext for another round of escalation,” he said. “I can assure you that Iran is very much committed to diplomacy.”

Asked about reports Tehran had closed the Strait, he said that the Americans had violated the terms of the ceasefire, and so “there will be repercussions for them”.

Amid a push for talks, differences remained over Tehran’s nuclear issue. Trump told Reuters the US would remove Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson told state TV the material would not be transferred anywhere. Separ­ately, a senior Iranian official said Tehran hoped a preliminary agreement could be reached in the coming days.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2026