Iran has vowed not to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as a US naval blockade remains in place, held firm into Thursday, even as tensions escalated in the Gulf with fresh ship seizures and renewed military manoeuvres.
The standoff continued despite a ceasefire extension, with Iran announcing the seizure of two vessels attempting to pass through the strategic waterway.
US Central Command said late Wednesday that it had also “directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port” as part of its own “blockade against Iran”.
As the deadline for a possible return to full-scale conflict loomed, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would maintain the truce to allow more time for Pakistani-brokered peace talks.
Iran welcomed Pakistan’s mediation efforts but did not directly respond to Trump’s remarks.
“A complete ceasefire only has meaning if it is not violated through a naval blockade,” said Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation in the first round of talks in Islamabad.
“Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible amid a blatant violation of the ceasefire.”
Oil markets reacted sharply to the developments, with prices rising about four percent before easing on Thursday. Around 0025 GMT, West Texas Intermediate climbed 4.06 percent to $96.73 per barrel, while Brent crude rose 3.62 percent to $105.63, before both later dipped.
Trump said he wanted to allow time for Iran’s “fractured” leadership to present a proposal, describing the move as a way to avoid renewed war.
He told the New York Post that talks could resume in Pakistan within two to three days, though Iran has not confirmed participation, and US Vice President JD Vance postponed a planned trip to Islamabad.
Trump also claimed Iran had, at his request, halted alleged plans to execute eight women arrested during anti-government protests. However, Iran’s judiciary dismissed the claim as false.
Iran denies ship movements, seizes vessels
Tensions at sea escalated after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps announced it had intercepted two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz two violating ships,” the Guards said in a statement.
The vessels were identified as the Panama-flagged container ship MSC Francesca and the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas.
Panama’s foreign ministry confirmed the seizure of the MSC Francesca, calling it a “serious attack on maritime security” and an “unnecessary escalation”.
UK-based maritime security monitors said three commercial vessels had reported incidents involving gunboats in the strait.
One container ship reportedly came under fire from a Revolutionary Guards vessel about 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, sustaining bridge damage but no casualties, according to UKMTO.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, carrying roughly one-fifth of global crude supplies.
Meanwhile, under orders from Trump, the US Navy is attempting to block vessels heading to or from Iranian ports in an effort to increase economic pressure on Tehran without escalating into full war.
In a related development, the Pentagon announced Wednesday that Secretary of the Navy John Phelan would leave “immediately”, without giving a reason for his sudden departure. His exit adds to a series of senior-level shake-ups under Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Iran has also said vessels must now seek permission to enter or leave the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, reversing earlier assurances of free passage during the ceasefire after Trump announced the blockade.
The US Defence Department said Tuesday that American forces intercepted and boarded a “stateless sanctioned” vessel, which AFP identified as linked to Iranian activity.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.
Lebanon tensions continue despite truce
Following the Iran ceasefire, Washington helped broker a separate truce between Israel and Lebanon involving Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shia group that had fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for earlier strikes.
Despite the agreement, Israeli strikes reportedly killed five people on Wednesday, according to Lebanese media.
Journalist Amal Khalil of Al-Akhbar was killed, while colleague Zeinab Faraj was injured in a strike near the border, the newspaper said.
French President Emmanuel Macron also confirmed the death of a second French soldier wounded in an ambush against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.
A first soldier had been killed in the same attack over the weekend, which Hezbollah denied responsibility for.
Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold another round of talks in Washington on Thursday.
Lebanon is reportedly seeking a one-month extension of the ceasefire, alongside demands for an end to Israeli airstrikes and destruction in affected areas.
Lebanese authorities say more than 2,450 people have been killed since the start of the conflict.
