Iran to close Hormuz Strait if blockade persists

TABNAK, Apr. 18 - Speaker of Iran's Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open if the United States continues the blockade of the Iranian southern ports.

News ID: 7331

Date: 18 April 2026 - 12:34

After the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz following the ceasefire in Lebanon and during the remaining time of the Iran-US ceasefire, US President Donald Trump raised new rhetoric and said that the blockade of the Iranian ports will not be lifted until a full agreement is reached.

The Iranian Parliament Speaker took to X to react to this issue.

"The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false," Ghalibaf wrote, adding, "They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either."

"With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open," he stressed.

Ghalibaf clarified that passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be conducted based on the "designated route" and with "Iranian authorization."

"Whether the Strait is open or closed and the regulations governing it will be determined by the field, not by social media," he underlined.

"Media warfare and engineering public opinion are an important part of war, and the Iranian nation is not affected by these tricks," he noted, adding that the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has offered real and accurate news about the negotiations in his recent interview with IRIB.