Two Iranian gunboats reportedly opened fire on a tanker navigating the Strait of Hormuz, an incident confirmed by the British military. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) indicated that the vessel and its crew remained safe following the encounter. This development follows Iran’s swift reversal on its previous agreement to reopen the crucial waterway, reinstating restrictions after the United States asserted that such a move would not end its existing blockade.
The incident unfolded as two vessels, including an Indian-flagged supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi oil, were compelled to alter their course within the Strait, according to data from the vessel tracker TankerTrackers.com. Iran’s spokesperson, Khatam al-Anbiya, issued a statement attributing the renewed restrictions to what he termed American “habitual breaking of promises” and “piracy and maritime blockades under the guise of the so-called embargo.” Consequently, control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint through which approximately one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes, has reverted to “strict management and control by the armed forces.”
This escalation directly contradicts earlier optimism sparked by prospects of transit resumption, which had seen stock markets rise and President Donald Trump express hopes for a broader US-Iran peace deal. Trump had even claimed Tehran was “very close” to an agreement and had consented to hand over its enriched uranium, a key point of contention in negotiations. However, Iran quickly refuted this assertion, declaring its enriched uranium stockpile was not subject to transfer. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf further warned that if US warships intercepted Iranian vessels, the Strait of Hormuz could face closure, requiring authorization from Iran for passage.
The US Central Command reported that American forces have already directed 21 ships to turn around since the blockade began, underscoring the ongoing naval presence in the region. Despite the deteriorating situation in the Strait, diplomatic efforts continue, with Pakistani leaders, who mediated recent face-to-face talks between Washington and Tehran envoys in Islamabad, urging both sides to finalize an agreement. Trump had previously hinted at flying to Pakistan to sign any potential deal and had described the ceasefire with Iran as potentially extendable beyond its Wednesday expiration, though he remained firm on maintaining the US naval blockade if a peace deal did not materialize.
The broader regional context also includes a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon, which began on Friday, allowing displaced families to return to damaged areas in south Beirut and southern towns. This ceasefire was a key demand from Tehran, insisting that a halt to fighting between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah must precede any larger regional peace agreement. The conflict in Lebanon ignited on March 2, following Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. While Trump stated that Washington had “prohibited” Israel from further strikes and would address the “Hezbollah situation,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned that the campaign against Hezbollah was far from over, with “dismantling of Hezbollah” remaining a primary objective. Hezbollah, for its part, affirmed its readiness to respond to any Israeli transgressions.
