Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz Again, IRGC Fires on Tanker Near Oman

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again to commercial vessels on Saturday, and it said any ship that approaches it will be targeted, as the standoff escalated after the United States pressed ahead with its blockade of Iranian ports.

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The BBC reported that the closure came as reports emerged of vessels in or near the strait, including a tanker, being targeted by Tehran on Saturday, and it quoted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warning that “Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered co-operation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted.”

Anadolu Ajansı

The Washington Post said Iran’s military announced Saturday that it was closing the strait, citing a continued American blockade, and it described the status of access as unclear a day after President Donald Trump and the country declared it open.

The Washington Post also reported that two gunboats affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps opened fire on a tanker about 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO), and it added that all crew members were reported safe.

In parallel, the BBC said the IRGC Navy warned in a statement that “no vessel is to move from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman,” and it said the IRGC would shut again until the US stopped its blockade of Iranian ports.

Reuters and the BBC both tied the renewed closure to the blockade, with the BBC saying the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said the US blockade was a violation of the ceasefire agreement and that it would stop the reopening while it was still in place.

As Iran reimposed restrictions, President Donald Trump convened a White House Situation Room meeting to address the renewed crisis around the strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran, with multiple outlets tying the meeting to a potential shift from diplomacy toward military contingency.

The Guardian said Donald Trump convened a White House Situation Room meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the renewed crisis around the strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran, citing reporting from Axios, and it added that a senior US official told Axios that unless there is a breakthrough in peace talks, “it appears that the war could reopen within days.”

AP News

Daily Express US similarly described Trump holding an “emergency Situation Room” meeting after Iran announced it was closing the strait again, and it said a senior US official told Axios that the battle could resume in a matter of days unless there is a breakthrough in peace negotiations.

Anadolu Ajansı reported that Trump convened a White House Situation Room meeting on Saturday to discuss the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing negotiations with Iran, citing Axios, and it said the report described the meeting as including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The Guardian also said the meeting included JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth and Scott Bessent, “among other senior government officials,” and it added that Axios reporting said a senior US official warned the war could reopen within days.

In the Oval Office, the Washington Post reported Trump told reporters Saturday that the United States remained engaged in “very good conversations” with Iran and acknowledged that Tehran “wanted to close up the strait again,” and it quoted Trump saying, “They can’t blackmail us.”

Alongside the closure, multiple outlets described attacks on vessels and competing explanations for why the strait was shut.

“Iran fully closes Strait of Hormuz over US blockade and fires on ships Iran fully closes Strait of Hormuz over US blockade and fires on ships CAIRO (AP) — The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz escalated again Saturday as Iran reversed its reopening of the crucial waterway and fired on ships attempting to pass, in retaliation after the United States pressed ahead with its blockade of Iranian ports”

AP News

The BBC said reports emerged of vessels in or near the strait, including a tanker, being targeted by Tehran on Saturday, and it described the IRGC blaming a continuing US blockade for its decision.

It quoted the IRGC Navy warning that “no vessel is to move from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman,” and it said a number of vessels had passed through the strait under IRGC management since Friday night but that it would shut again until the US stopped its blockade of Iranian ports.

The Washington Post reported that two gunboats affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps opened fire on a tanker about 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman, and it said UKMTO reported all crew members were safe.

The Washington Post also said a container ship was reported hit, while the BBC said a container ship was hit by “an unknown projectile” off the north-eastern coast of Oman, damaging some containers, according to UKMTO.

Axios reported that a U.S. defense official and UKMTO said Iran had carried out at least three attacks on commercial ships on Saturday, while UKMTO reported two attacks, and it said at least one ship was hit and caused some damage but there were no reports of injuries.

The reporting diverged on how quickly the situation could move back toward war and on how negotiations were progressing, even while describing the same core sequence of events: Iran closed the strait again, the US maintained its blockade, and ships were attacked.

The Guardian said a senior US official told Axios that unless there is a breakthrough in peace talks, “it appears that the war could reopen within days,” and it added that there was “still no firm date for negotiations to resume this weekend.”

CBC

Daily Express US similarly said there is still no set timetable for negotiations to start this weekend, and it framed the Situation Room meeting as happening as negotiations “fall apart,” while also stating that the battle could resume in a matter of days unless there is a breakthrough in peace negotiations.

In contrast, the Washington Post emphasized Trump’s insistence that the US remained engaged in “very good conversations” with Iran and that he would have more information on the talks “by end of day,” and it described Trump acknowledging Tehran “wanted to close up the strait again.”

The BBC, meanwhile, reported that on negotiations to bring about an end to the war, the SNSC said new proposals had been put forward by the US, which Tehran was “currently reviewing and has not yet responded to,” and it said peace talks held earlier this month ended without an agreement.

The Times of Israel added another layer of framing by describing Iran’s “swiftly reversed course” on reopening the strait and reimposing restrictions, and it quoted Iran’s joint military command saying “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces.”

The stakes described across outlets centered on the ceasefire timeline, the continued blockade, and the risk of renewed conflict affecting shipping and energy markets.

“Strait of Hormuz closed again, Iran says, as ships attacked Iran says it is closing the Strait of Hormuz again to commercial vessels and that any ship that approaches it will be targeted”

BBC

The BBC said a two-week ceasefire currently in effect is due to expire on 22 April, and it reported that the US said it had turned away 23 ships since it began enforcing the blockade on 13 April.

Crypto Briefing

The Washington Post said the US blockade took effect Monday and that U.S. forces have turned back 21 ships, and it also described a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon that halted attacks between Hezbollah and Israel in line with an agreement negotiated between the government of Lebanon and Israel.

The Guardian said the war with the US and Israel has killed more than 3,400 people in the Islamic republic, citing Iran’s state-run Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, with Ahmad Mousavi quoted by ISNA saying 3,468 “martyrs … fell during the recent conflict.”

The AP said a fragile ceasefire is due to run out by Wednesday and quoted Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy warning that “no vessel should make any movement from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman” and that approaching the strait would be considered cooperation with the enemy and be targeted.

In the immediate negotiation track, the AP said Iran said it had received new proposals from the United States and that Pakistani mediators were working to arrange another round of direct negotiations, while the BBC said Tehran was “currently reviewing and has not yet responded to” the US proposals.