Iran Warns of Hormuz Closure if US Blockade Persists

Iran has threatened to re-close the strategic Strait of Hormuz if the United States continues its naval blockade of Iranian ports. The warning, issued Saturday by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, heightens tensions just as the waterway began to see a limited return of commercial traffic.

"If the blockade continues, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open," Ghalibaf stated via social media. He emphasized that future shipping through the vital chokepoint would depend on Iranian approval.

The Iranian Defense Ministry clarified that while the strait is currently "open," the status is strictly temporary and conditional. Brigadier General Reza Talai-Nik, a ministry spokesman, noted that the reopening is tied to the current ceasefire in Lebanon.

According to the state-run Fars News Agency, the ministry's position is firm Hostile Forces Military vessels affiliated with "hostile powers" are strictly prohibited from entry. Security Conditions The waterway may be shut again if conditions on the ground—particularly in Lebanon—deteriorate.

The Iranian statements follow claims by US President Donald Trump on Friday that Iran had agreed to "never close the Strait again." While Trump welcomed the opening for commercial business, he maintained that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in "full force and effect" until negotiations are finalized.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that while commercial ships are being permitted transit for now, naval vessels remain barred. Global shipping firms remain cautious, citing uncertainty over sea mines and the specific routes designated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).