Iran's military says it has placed the Strait of Hormuz under strict control again

A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz Stringer/Reuters 2026-04-18T10:30:10.622Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. Iran's military says it has resumed control of the Strait of Hormuz. It says the action is in response to the US blockade of Iran's ports. Opening the strait was a central demand for a two-week ceasefire that took effect on April 8. AI-generated summary Summaries are generated by an AI model trained on Business Insider's articles. AI may make mistakes or provide inaccurate/incomplete information. We're unable to load that answer right now. Please try again. What is the Strait of Hormuz? How does a blockade affect global trade? How do ceasefires influence negotiations? Why is the Strait of Hormuz strategic? What led to the US-Iran tensions? Iran's military on Saturday accused the United States of acts of "piracy" and "sea robbery" in its blockade of its ports — and that in response it was resuming control of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Loading audio narration... "Control over the Strait of Hormuz has been returned to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is under strict management and control by the Armed Forces," a spokesman said.In a statement to Iran's Tasnim News Agency, the spokesman insisted that until the US ended restrictions on the free movement of vessels to and from Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz "will remain tightly controlled and unchanged from its previous status." Iran announced on Friday morning that the strait was open for maritime traffic, and mid-afternoon data showed that commercial vessels were passing through the strategic waterway, though only a small number.President Donald Trump greeted the news in a Truth Social post, writing that "Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for passage." The market reaction to the announcement saw stocks climb higher and oil fall.Hours later, a large group of vessels sailed toward the strait but inexplicably turned away, ship-tracking data shows, raising questions about the status of this critical chokepoint. Opening the strait has been a central demand since the start of a fragile ceasefire earlier this month and amid the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran.The strategic Strait of Hormuz is a narrow chokepoint linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and a major artery for global shipments of oil and natural gas.