Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after one vessel disabled its navigation systems and was struck by Iranian forces, the country's Navy warned. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said the ship had endangered maritime safety by turning off its systems, though it didn't identify the vessel.
Multiple ships tried to cross the waterway using unauthorised routes and ignored calls to change course, according to the statement. The closure would remain in effect "until further notice" and until "the end of U.S. interference in this region," Iran said.
Any attack on Iran will face "a severe response," the Navy added, threatening to target new enemy military bases in the region. This marks an escalation in tensions already running high after hostilities flared this week.
Senior U.S. officials told reporters on Friday that the Trump administration is demanding Iran publicly commit to halting attacks on shipping and guarantee all strait lanes stay open without any tolls. President Donald Trump said on Friday that talks between Washington and Tehran would continue despite this week's escalation, while also declaring an end to an earlier ceasefire.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Iran, the U.S., Qatar and Pakistan had agreed to hold negotiations. Mediators were arranging a call for Saturday while Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi was visiting Oman, according to the source.
It remained unclear whether those diplomatic efforts worked. Araqchi met with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Oman to discuss "views on appropriate mechanisms for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz," the Iranian foreign ministry said.
