Tensions Escalate at Strait of Hormuz as US-Iran Conflict Deepens

Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for approximately 20 percent of the world's oil supply, has once again become the epicenter of chaos in the conflict between the US-Israel and Iran. This standoff between Washington and Tehran is further complicating efforts to end the war.

After US President Donald Trump stated that the blockade on Iranian ports would continue, Iran reversed its decision to reopen the waterway on Saturday. Additionally, Iranian forces fired upon a cargo ship attempting to pass through the area.

Trump has refused to end the blockade until a deal is finalized. On Saturday, he noted that while there are very good discussions happening between the two sides, Washington will not fall victim to blackmail.

Although ship traffic increased briefly on Saturday, vessels have been halted in the Persian Gulf again following reports of gunfire and ships being forced to turn back.

The retreat of these ships has returned the waterway to its pre-ceasefire state, increasing the likelihood of a deepening global energy crisis and a renewed outbreak of war.

Here are the key points to know regarding this situation:

• What is Iran's position?

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had stated on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to commercial vessels for the duration of the ceasefire ending on April 22, in line with the Lebanon ceasefire.

However, amidst the blockade on Iranian ports, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its stance has completely changed, stating that the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its previous state.

The IRGC's joint military command has accused the US of continuing acts of maritime piracy and theft under the guise of a so-called blockade.

A statement quoted by Iranian broadcaster IRIB said, 'For this reason, control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is now under the strict management and control of the armed forces.'

'Until the US restores full freedom for ships traveling to and from Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain under strict control as before,' the statement added.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and a key negotiator with the US, stated that it is impossible for others to pass through this strategic waterway without Iran's consent. He called Washington's blockade ignorant and foolish, warning that Tehran would not allow others to pass through the waterway while its own ships are being stopped.

On Saturday, he mentioned that while there has been some progress toward a deal, major differences remain.

• What is the US position?

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, the US President accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement, but also mentioned that US negotiators would travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday to reach a deal.

'We are proposing a very fair and practical deal, and I hope they accept it. If they do not, the US will destroy every power plant and every bridge in Iran,' he wrote in the post.

Iran stated on Sunday that it is tightening control over the waterway in response to the US blockade on Iranian ports that began on April 14. According to Tehran, this blockade violates the terms of the ceasefire.

Trump had said on Saturday that the US is having very good conversations with Iran, but made it clear that Tehran wants to close this vital oil corridor again and cannot blackmail the US with such actions.

See also

Iranian cargo ship seized by US Navy

• What is happening in the waterway now?

According to the maritime monitoring organization Lloyd's List, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has come to a standstill after Iranian forces fired on several ships on Saturday.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported receiving information that two gunboats linked to the IRGC fired upon a tanker.

Meanwhile, the Indian government stated that it summoned the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi to express deep concern over the firing on two Indian-flagged ships in the waterway.

According to Abbas Aslani, a senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran, both sides are engaging in war rhetoric ahead of any potential military conflict. 'They seem to be pressuring each other to gain an advantage - but we are not at that point yet,' Aslani told Al Jazeera.

'There is speculation that the US might be planning a limited strike on Iran, but Iran has also been saying it will respond firmly,' he said, 'This could lead to a major conflict again.'

What are the other main issues of dispute between the US and Iran?

• Nuclear Enrichment

The biggest dispute lies in Iran's nuclear program, particularly Tehran's hardening stance on its uranium enrichment capacity.

On Friday, Trump stated that Washington would obtain Iran's enriched uranium. He referred to it as 'nuclear dust,' citing approximately 440 kilograms of uranium believed to be buried in locations hit by US strikes last year. He reiterated on Truth Social that the US would take all the 'nuclear dust.'

Speaking to the Reuters news agency, Trump said the US would work at a comfortable pace with Iran and begin excavation with heavy machinery to extract the material.

Refuting Trump's claims, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Washington has no justification for depriving Iran of its nuclear rights.

According to the Iranian Students News Agency, Pezeshkian asked, 'Trump says Iran cannot exercise its nuclear rights, but does not say for what crime. Who is he to deprive a nation of its rights?'

Israel and the US have repeatedly accused Iran of enriching uranium to build nuclear weapons. However, Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only and that it is fulfilling its commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before Congress in March 2025, stating, 'The US continues to assess that Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon and has not resumed the nuclear weapons program that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suspended in 2003.'

Khamenei was killed in a US and Israeli strike on February 28. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been appointed as his successor.

• Lebanon

Before the two-week ceasefire agreement between the US-Israel side and Iran, a ceasefire in Lebanon was a key demand of Iran.

Although a 10-day technical ceasefire is in effect between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, it is in a very fragile state. Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to conduct strikes, and its forces have drawn a 'yellow line' similar to Gaza to create a buffer zone.

This ceasefire was announced just days after Lebanon and Israel held face-to-face talks in Washington for the first time in decades. According to Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, the decision to open the Strait of Hormuz for a short time was in response to the ceasefire implemented in Lebanon.

Hezbollah, however, has condemned the ceasefire agreement as an 'insult to our country' and a slippery slope with no end in sight.

The Lebanon-based group stated, 'A ceasefire means a complete end to all hostilities. We do not trust this enemy, so our fighters will remain on the ground and be ready to respond to any violations. A ceasefire cannot be unilateral; it must be mutual.'

Hezbollah is Tehran's most powerful regional ally and the main pillar of the 'Axis of Resistance' - a network of armed groups in West Asia allied with Iran against Israel, which also includes the Houthis in Yemen and some factions in Iraq.

This group entered the fight after the Israeli military killed Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei in an initial strike on Tehran.