Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again, accuses US of ‘sea robbery’

Barely 24 hours after reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic, Iran has reimposed restrictions on vessels passing through the critical waterway.

A spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia central headquarters accused the United States of continuing acts of “piracy” and “sea robbery” under the pretext of what it calls a blockade.

Earlier this week, the US announced the implementation of a naval blockade of the strait.

After Iran reopened the waterway on Friday, President Donald Trump said the US blockade would remain in place “until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete”.

Both countries are holding talks and making efforts to find a way to lasting peace as a ceasefire remains in place.

In a statement on Saturday, an Iranian military spokesman said the US blockade reversed Iran’s decision to reopen the sea passage.

“As a result, control over the Strait of Hormuz has been returned to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is under strict management and control by the Armed Forces,” the spokesman said, according to the Tasnim news agency.

• The spokesman added that until the US ends restrictions on the free movement of vessels from Iran to their destinations and from elsewhere to Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled and unchanged from its previous status.(TheCable)