Iran Says Strait Closed, But 55 Ships Sailed Through Anyway
Iran claims it has shut the Strait of Hormuz again, yet dozens of ships and Iranian oil tankers are still moving through the key waterway, creating a confusing standoff over global oil supplies.
Iran’s military announced it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, citing Israeli attacks on Lebanon as the reason [178166][178033][178201]. The move came hours after the U.S. military reported that 55 ships passed through the strait on Saturday [178097]. Despite Tehran’s declaration, millions of barrels of oil continued to transit the waterway over the weekend, and the U.S. Central Command denied the strait is closed, stating that maritime traffic continues as normal [178420][179110].
Industry trackers show that Iranian oil tankers, which had been sailing with their transponders turned off during the war, have now reappeared and are leaving the Persian Gulf loaded with oil [179274]. This follows a Treasury Department authorization allowing Iranian oil sales through August [179274]. The conflicting signals have rattled oil markets, with prices jumping as talks between the United States and Iran stalled and tanker traffic slowed [177282].
Iranian negotiators are traveling to Switzerland for talks with the United States on an interim nuclear deal, even as the military threatens closure [178166][177849]. Tehran stated it sees little progress possible in those talks under current conditions [178032]. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned ships to avoid the strait, citing what it called Israeli crimes in Lebanon and a U.S. violation of commitments to establish a ceasefire there [178201]. It remains unclear whether Iran has actually enforced the closure or if this escalation will jeopardize scheduled talks [178201]. Experts say the move is a "show of force" [177849].