Tensions have escalated in the Gulf as Iran announced that control of the Strait of Hormuz has reverted to a restricted state, accusing the United States of “piracy” through its ongoing naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the situation had returned to “previous conditions,” contradicting earlier remarks by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who had declared the waterway open to commercial vessels following a Lebanon ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump insisted the blockade would continue until negotiations with Iran are fully concluded. Meanwhile, a fragile 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon is underway, with thousands of displaced residents beginning to return home despite lingering uncertainty across the region.
