Middle East
American AH-64 Apaches flying above the Strait of Hormuz during a patrol on April 17, 2026. Photo: US Central Command
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Saturday the strategic Strait of Hormuz will remain closed if the United States does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports, despite “progress” in ongoing talks.
There has been "progress" in talks with Washington "but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain,” Ghalibaf said in a televised address, adding that "If America does not lift the blockade, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be limited."
Iran initially closed the waterway on March 8, roughly a week after the outbreak of a nearly 40-day conflict with the US and Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the waterway - which typically carries around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas - is open in line with a halt to Israel’s attacks on Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, a key Iranian demand tied to broader ceasefire with Washington.
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that negotiations with Tehran were going “very good,” but said “they can’t blackmail us.”
The current US-Iran ceasefire is set to expire Wednesday unless extended. Senior US and Iranian negotiators held rare face-to-face talks in Islamabad last week, which lasted roughly 21 hours but ended without an agreement.
Trump welcomed Iran’s Friday announcement that the Strait is open in a post on Truth Social, while maintaining the blockade on Iranian ports until a deal is reached. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reinstated what it described as “strict management” of the waterway, citing what it called repeated US breaches of commitments.
Prior to the IRGC’s announcement, Ghalibaf warned that the chokehold “will not remain open” if Washington continues its maritime pressure.
Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to appear publicly since taking power, said in a written message that Iran’s navy “stands ready” to confront the United States.
This is despite repeated US claims that Iran’s naval capabilities have been significantly degraded.
There has been "progress" in talks with Washington "but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain,” Ghalibaf said in a televised address, adding that "If America does not lift the blockade, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be limited."
Iran initially closed the waterway on March 8, roughly a week after the outbreak of a nearly 40-day conflict with the US and Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the waterway - which typically carries around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas - is open in line with a halt to Israel’s attacks on Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, a key Iranian demand tied to broader ceasefire with Washington.
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that negotiations with Tehran were going “very good,” but said “they can’t blackmail us.”
The current US-Iran ceasefire is set to expire Wednesday unless extended. Senior US and Iranian negotiators held rare face-to-face talks in Islamabad last week, which lasted roughly 21 hours but ended without an agreement.
Trump welcomed Iran’s Friday announcement that the Strait is open in a post on Truth Social, while maintaining the blockade on Iranian ports until a deal is reached. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reinstated what it described as “strict management” of the waterway, citing what it called repeated US breaches of commitments.
Prior to the IRGC’s announcement, Ghalibaf warned that the chokehold “will not remain open” if Washington continues its maritime pressure.
Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to appear publicly since taking power, said in a written message that Iran’s navy “stands ready” to confront the United States.
This is despite repeated US claims that Iran’s naval capabilities have been significantly degraded.
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