The Media Line: Iran Blocks Strait of Hormuz, Says It Will Remain Closed Until ‘War Fully Ends’  

Iran Blocks Strait of Hormuz, Says It Will Remain Closed Until ‘War Fully Ends’  

By The Media Line Staff  

Iran on Saturday blocked the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US naval blockade, saying the waterway will remain closed until “the war fully ends and lasting peace is achieved in the region.”  

Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump played down the development and said broader contacts with Tehran were still progressing.  

Iran “got a little cute” by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump said, adding that talks are “working really well.” He said, “They wanted to close up the strait again,” and maintained that “they can’t blackmail us.”  

In a statement, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said that received a new US proposal via Pakistan, and although there was no specific comment on the contents, the council warned that the US must abandon “excessive demands and adjust its requests to the realities on the ground.” The council also said the US naval blockade violated the truce and that, as a result, the Strait of Hormuz would be blocked until further notice.  

An Iranian official told CNN that Tehran would prioritize ships that are willing to pay a fee. “Given the limitation on the number of vessels that will be allowed to pass,” the official tells the US outlet, “Iran has decided to give priority to those vessels that respond more quickly to the new Strait of Hormuz protocols and pay the costs of security and safety services.”  

The official said vessels that do not pay will have their passage “postponed.”  

The policy reflects an earlier Iranian proposal to impose a fee on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a move Washington rejected while insisting on free passage to all ships.  

At the same time, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US military is preparing in coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters, citing US officials. According to the report, the move would widen Washington’s naval pressure campaign beyond the Middle East. 

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