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Hormuz Standoff Deepens as Iran Rejects Reopening Waterway Under US Blockade
The Hormuz standoff intensifies as Iran blocks the waterway, seizes ships, and clashes with US efforts to control maritime traffic.
Tensions in the Persian Gulf intensified on Thursday as Iran reaffirmed that it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz while a U.S. naval blockade remains in force, even as diplomatic efforts continue under an extended ceasefire.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had ordered 31 vessels to turn back or return to port, enforcing what it described as a blockade targeting Iranian-linked shipping.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissed the ceasefire’s credibility under such conditions.
“A complete ceasefire only has meaning if it is not violated through a naval blockade… Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible,” he said.
The standoff has heightened concerns over global energy supplies, given that the strait normally handles around 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas shipments.
Markets reacted quickly, with oil prices briefly surging—West Texas Intermediate up 4.06 per cent to $96.73 and Brent crude rising 3.62 per cent to $105.63—before easing.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the truce would be extended to allow Pakistan-mediated talks, though uncertainty remains as Iran has not confirmed its participation.
On the ground, tensions escalated after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized two ships, the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, accusing them of violations.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force… identified and stopped… two violating ships,” the Guards said.
Panama condemned the seizure as a “serious attack on maritime security,” while maritime monitors reported additional confrontations involving armed boats, including an incident where a commercial vessel was fired upon.
The U.S. Navy continues to enforce restrictions on maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports, while Iran has countered by requiring vessels to seek permission before transiting the strait.
With both sides accusing each other of breaching the ceasefire, the Hormuz standoff underscores a widening conflict that now blends military pressure, economic disruption, and high-stakes diplomacy.
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