Tehran Threatens Closure of Strategic Strait of Hormuz if United States Maintains Naval Port Blockade

Speaker Ghalibaf warns the Strait of Hormuz will close if the U.S. blockade continues, while denying Trump's claims of a nuclear deal.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 18, 2026, 3:20 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Escalation in the Persian Gulf Over Port Interdictions

The fragile stability of the Persian Gulf faces a new threat as Iran’s top negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, signaled a potential return to hostilities in the maritime corridor. According to Ghalibaf, the Islamic Republic is prepared to close the Strait of Hormuz once again if the United States does not terminate its current blockade of Iranian ports. This warning suggests that the vital waterway, a primary artery for global energy supplies, will only remain open if Washington allows unrestricted access to Iranian maritime infrastructure.

Demanding Sovereign Control Over Vital Waterways

Central to Tehran’s latest ultimatum is the assertion that maritime passage through the region must be subject to Iranian oversight. According to Ghalibaf, future transit through the Strait of Hormuz would depend specifically on authorization from Iran. This move seeks to reestablish Iranian dominance in its territorial waters while directly challenging the U.S. Navy’s enforcement of the blockade, which has reportedly redirected multiple vessels since the start of the week.

Accusations of Falsehoods in American Diplomatic Rhetoric

The diplomatic rift between the two nations has been further widened by accusations of systemic misinformation emanating from the White House. According to Ghalibaf, President Trump made seven distinct claims regarding the war within a single hour, all of which the Iranian speaker characterized as false. This aggressive rhetorical pushback suggests that Tehran views recent American statements as a tactical effort to project strength rather than a reflection of the actual status of negotiations.