The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has announced that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed as of tonight and will remain so until the United States (US) lifts its blockade of Iranian ports, reports the BBC.
The media outlet also reports that the IRGC Navy warns in a statement that "no vessel is allowed to leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman."
It is reported that a number of vessels have passed through the strait under its control since last night, but that the waterway will be closed again until the US lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.
"Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any vessel that does so will be targeted," it added.
The BBC also reports that the Iranian navy has said that the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports is a "violation of the terms of the ceasefire."
Iran and the US agreed earlier this month to a conditional two-week ceasefire, during which shipping traffic was to be allowed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran closed the key waterway again today, and the Iranian navy says it will remain closed until the US blockade of Iranian vessels and ports is lifted, according to the BBC.
In its latest statement, the IRGC Navy said that Trump's statements about the Strait of Hormuz "hold no weight," the BBC reported.
The media outlet states that it is unclear whether the statement refers to specific comments by US President Donald Trump.
Earlier, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iranian leaders wanted to close the strait, but that the US would not allow them to "blackmail us."
The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimates that Iran's Revolutionary Guard has taken control of decision-making from state officials participating in negotiations with the US.
This non-profit and non-partisan think tank states that Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi is under scrutiny in particular.
He announced yesterday that Hormuz was fully open to commercial traffic, and the Revolutionary Guard reacted sharply to his statement and outlined conditions for ships passing through the strait, meaning that Iran retains control over maritime traffic through the strait.
The Central Command of the Iranian Armed Forces, which is in practice controlled by the Revolutionary Guard, announced that Iranian forces had re-established strict management and control over the strait, citing the US naval blockade of Iranian ports as the reason.
The Guard's decision to interfere in international maritime traffic and act contrary to Aragchi's statement reflects broader divisions within the Iranian regime, according to ISW.
(Beta)
United States President Donald Trump called a meeting in the White House Situation Room this morning to discuss the renewed crisis over the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran, Axios reports, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
A senior US official told Axios that unless there is progress in peace talks, it looks like the war could flare up again within days. There is no firm date yet for the talks to resume this weekend, despite Trump's hopes of ending the conflict before the truce expires on Tuesday.
The official told Axios that today's meeting was attended by US Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, among other senior government officials.
Iran is not yet ready to hold a new round of direct talks with US officials, a senior Iranian official said today, citing Washington's refusal to drop "maximalist" demands on key issues, the British newspaper The Guardian reports.
In an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in Turkey, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Hatibzadeh also said his country would not hand over enriched uranium to the United States, rejecting Donald Trump's claims.
"I can tell you that no enriched material will be sent to the United States. That is completely out of the question and I can assure you that while we are prepared to address all the issues that exist, we will not accept things that are unacceptable," Hatibzadeh said.
Hatibzadeh said there had been many exchanges of messages between the parties, but accused the US of sticking to demands that Iran considers excessive.
"We have not yet reached the stage of moving on to a concrete meeting, because there are issues that the Americans have not yet given up on in their maximalist approach," said Hatibzade.
He added that Iran is seeking to finalize a "framework agreement" first before moving to a face-to-face meeting.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will again block the Strait of Hormuz starting today, the IRGC warned in a statement published by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the British newspaper The Guardian reports.
"Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any ship that does so will be targeted," the IRGC said in a statement.
The statement cited the US blockade as a violation of the ceasefire.
The US military is preparing to board Iranian-linked tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters in the coming days, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, the British newspaper The Guardian reported.
The Iranian military continued to tighten control over the Strait of Hormuz, attacking several merchant vessels on Saturday, claiming that the waterway was "strictly under Iranian control."
Shipping companies were left in disarray a day after Iran's foreign minister said the strait was fully open to commercial traffic, a move welcomed by US President Donald Trump.
Two Indian-flagged ships carrying crude oil were attacked today as they attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the Indian Foreign Ministry said, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
Iran's Ambassador to India, Mohamad Fathali, was summoned for a meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, during which Misri conveyed India's deep concern over the shooting incident involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Misri urged the ambassador to convey India's views to the authorities in Iran and to continue the process of allowing ships sailing to India through the strait as soon as possible.
The Hezbollah movement has denied involvement in a deadly attack on United Nations (UN) peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, which killed a French soldier, the British newspaper The Guardian reports.
One UN peacekeeper was killed and three others were injured after a patrol was attacked by "non-state actors", the United Nations Interim Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said.
French President Emmanuel Macron identified the slain peacekeeper as Florian Montory, a French citizen, and in a statement suggested that Hezbollah was responsible for the attack.
Al-Manar television, which is owned by Hezbollah, reported: "Hezbollah denied any involvement in the incident with UNIFIL forces in the south and called for caution in assigning blame and passing judgments."
Al-Manar also carried a further statement from the Iran-backed group, saying it was "surprised by the positions that rushed to indiscriminately make accusations, at a time when these parties are absent and their voices are not heard while the Israeli enemy is attacking UNIFIL forces."
United States President Donald Trump has warned Iran not to "blackmail" the United States with its wavering stance on the status of the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran withdrew its decision to reopen the waterway to ships, the British newspaper The Guardian reports.
But the US president has again taken a positive tone, saying that a deal with Iran could be possible.
"They (Iran) have gotten a little crafty, as they have for 47 years," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"We're talking to them. They wanted to close the strait again - you know, like they've been doing for years - and they can't blackmail us," Trump said.
He added: "So far everything is going very well, so we'll see, but by the end of the day we'll have some information."
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has vowed to prosecute those who attacked French United Nations (UN) peacekeepers, killing one and wounding three, the British newspaper The Guardian reports.
In a statement shared by the presidency, Aoun expressed his condolences in a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, condemned the incident and promised that Beirut "will not hesitate to prosecute those involved and bring them to justice."
A senior Hezbollah official said his group is not concerned about Lebanon's planned direct talks with Israel, describing them as a failure, the British newspaper The Guardian reports.
At a press conference in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Mahmoud Kamati said that Hezbollah "is not concerned about the negotiations led by the state," because they are "failed, weak, defeated... and subjugated negotiations."
He added: "It is the resistance that imposes. We are the country... and we are the ones who make the decisions, not those who have official status."
He also said that his group does not mind Beirut "coordinating with us... but not in a way that leads to surrender."
The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said its patrol came under fire this morning during an operation in the south of the country.
“This morning, a UNIFIL patrol, which was clearing unexploded ordnance along the road in Ghanduria village to re-establish communication with isolated UNIFIL positions, was exposed to small arms fire from non-state actors,” the statement said.
UNIFIL called on the Lebanese authorities to urgently launch an investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible for the attack on the peacekeepers.
"UNIFIL calls on the Government of Lebanon to swiftly launch an investigation to identify and hold accountable the perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers," the statement added.
French President Emmanuel Macron said a French soldier was killed in southern Lebanon during an attack on United Nations peacekeepers, and that all indications point to Hezbollah's responsibility, the Guardian reports.
Macron stated that Sergeant Florian Montorio from the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment from Montauban was killed this morning in an attack on UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) forces.
Three more of his comrades were wounded in the attack and were evacuated.
"All indications point to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack. France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest those responsible and assume responsibility together with UNIFIL," Macron said.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces are implementing a naval blockade of Iranian ports, stating that 23 ships acted on their orders and changed course.
The announcement came after Iran earlier announced that it had re-established strict control over the Strait of Hormuz, due to the continued US blockade.
CENTCOM says that since the blockade began on Monday, 23 ships have acted on instructions from US forces to turn around and change course.
"US forces are implementing a naval blockade against ships entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas," the statement said.
It added that Apache helicopters are flying above and around the Strait of Hormuz to provide a visible presence in support of freedom of navigation.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaz Salam announced that French members of the United Nations peacekeeping mission were the target of an attack in the country, and called for an urgent investigation.
He did not say who was behind the attack on the French contingent of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is patrolling the southern part of the country.
"I strongly condemn today's attack on members of the French battalion within UNIFIL. I have ordered an urgent investigation to determine the circumstances of this attack and bring those responsible to justice. This irresponsible behavior is causing great harm to Lebanon and its relations with friendly countries that support it around the world," Salam said in a post on the X network.
Following initial talks between the United States and Iran held last weekend in Pakistan, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Hatibzadeh said that a new date for the talks could not be set until both sides agreed on a framework, the Guardian reports.
Speaking to reporters at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, Turkey, he said Iran did not want to participate in negotiations that were doomed to failure.
"We do not want to enter into negotiations or meetings that are doomed to fail and could serve as a pretext for further escalation," Hatibzadeh said.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that they carried out attacks in southern Lebanon yesterday, stating that it was in response to what they claim is a ceasefire violation by Hezbollah, reports the Guardian.
This is the first confirmed military action by Israel since the ceasefire in Lebanon came into effect at midnight on Friday.
The IDF said its forces, operating south of the so-called "Yellow Line" in southern Lebanon, which separates the area under Israeli military control, had identified "terrorists who violated the ceasefire agreement and approached forces north of the Yellow Line in a manner that posed an imminent threat."
It added that the Israeli air force and ground forces carried out strikes on multiple locations in southern Lebanon to "eliminate the threat."
Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) ships opened fire on a tanker sailing through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the British maritime traffic monitoring organization UKMTO said, CNN reports.
UKMTO says it was directly informed by the captain of the tanker, who reported that two IRGC boats approached it, about 20 nautical miles (about 30 kilometers) off the coast of Oman.
According to the captain, there was no radio warning before the ship, whose name was not released, came under fire.
"The tanker and crew are safe," the UKMTO statement said.
As reports of the incident emerged, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement on Telegram praising Iran's military capabilities.
He said that, "just as Iranian drones strike the US and Zionist murderers like lightning, so too is its brave navy ready to inflict new heavy defeats on its enemies."
Reuters reported that at least two merchant ships reported being hit by gunfire while trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to three sources in the field of maritime security and shipping, the incident occurred today, the agency said.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Hatibzadeh responded to US President Donald Trump's threats that US forces could resume bombing Iran if an agreement is not reached between Washington and Tehran.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya, Hatibzadeh said Trump talks too much.
"That's President Trump's style, he talks too much, and says contradictory things in the same statement," he said, according to the Guardian.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
