IRAN’S central military command early on Saturday, April 18, said it would resume “strict management” of the Strait of Hormuz, hours after announcing its total reopening to commercial activities.
It attributed the latest decision to United States (US) reluctance to unblock the strategic channel as part of negotiations with Washington.
In a statement shared on state television, Tehran said Washington had broken a promise by continuing its naval blockade of ships sailing to and from Iran’s ports, insisting until the US restores freedom of movement for all vessels visiting Iran, “the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled.”
Iran stressed that the strait could close again if US blockade continues, even though US President, Donald Trump, said it will remain in place until ‘transaction’ with Tehran is complete.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghch, had said that the strait was now fully open to commercial vessels, reinforcing hopes for an eventual end to the war in the Middle East and sending oil prices tumbling, despite analysts’ warnings that there will be no immediate widespread resumption of passage through the vital waterway.
In a barrage of social media posts, Trump claimed on Friday, April 17, that Iran had agreed never to close the strategic waterway again, hailing “A GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD!”
However, Araghchi’s pledge was given only qualified support by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has reinforced its already powerful authority in Tehran during the war.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, later warned that if the US blockade continued, “the strait of Hormuz will not remain open.”
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