Published on: April 18, 2026 15:09
Reading time: 2min – video: 1min
The clearance will be short-lived in the Middle East. Iran announced on Saturday, April 18, the strategic closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It had been completely reopened for commercial ships on Friday.
Sudden change of course in Hormuz. Less than 24 hours after the announcement of the strait’s reopening, Iran reverses its decision, proclaiming on Saturday, April 18, on state television: “The status of the Strait of Hormuz returns to its original state. It remains under the strict control of our armed forces.”
This comes as a surprise to shipowners. Overnight, several oil tankers were apparently prevented from crossing. Tehran is closing the strait again, as the US Navy continues to block Iranian ports, as shown in images provided by the US military on Friday, April 17. The standoff between Iran and the United States persists over the waterway.
Was Donald Trump too optimistic? On Friday, April 17, the American president, full of enthusiasm in front of his supporters, boasts of an imminent agreement, including on the other sensitive issue of Iran’s uranium stockpile. “The United States will get all the nuclear dust, armed with the biggest bulldozers you can imagine. We’re going to go together with Iran, get it, and quickly bring it back to the United States,” declared Donald Trump.
The announcement is immediately refuted by Iran, for whom the issue is sacred. Tehran is said to have 440 kilograms of enriched uranium at 60%, while the threshold is 90% to manufacture a nuclear bomb. According to the American media CNN, the delegations of the two countries will resume negotiations on Monday. However, US authorities have not confirmed.
