Iran Warns of Hormuz Closure Amid US Blockade
Last update: April 19, 2026
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Iran threatens Hormuz closure as blockade dispute deepens..
Iran said that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would not fully reopen unless the United States lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports, signalling continued tensions despite ongoing talks.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, said there had been some progress in negotiations with Washington but warned that major differences remained.
“We are still far from the final discussion,” Ghalibaf said in a televised address, referring to efforts to end the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
A two-week ceasefire is due to expire on Wednesday unless extended.
U.S. President Donald Trump said “very good conversations” were under way with Tehran but cautioned against what he described as attempts to “blackmail” Washington.
Iran had briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday following a ceasefire linked to fighting involving its ally Hezbollah, a move that eased global market concerns and pushed oil prices lower.
However, with Washington maintaining its blockade, Tehran said it could again restrict access to the waterway, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass.
“If America does not lift the blockade, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be limited,” Ghalibaf said.
Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message that the country’s navy was prepared to confront U.S. forces.
Trump, speaking at the White House, said the United States was “taking a tough stand” and warned Iran against shifting positions on the strait.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that vessels crossing without permission could be targeted, raising risks for shipping in the Gulf.
Shipping data showed a small number of tankers transited the strait during its brief reopening, but traffic fell sharply later in the day.
A British maritime security agency reported that Iranian forces fired at one tanker, while a private intelligence firm said a cruise ship had been threatened as it exited the Gulf.
