Tensions in the Persian Gulf reached a new fever pitch on Friday as Iranian officials warned they would once again shut down the Strait of Hormuz if the United States does not lift its ongoing naval blockade. 

The threat, reported by state-affiliated media, marks a significant setback in the fragile regional truce and threatens to reignite a maritime crisis that has already paralyzed global energy markets for weeks.

The Iranian Supreme National Security Council indicated that while Tehran initially agreed to a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire which allowed for a limited flow of commercial traffic the arrangement is now “suspended” in spirit. Iranian officials argue that the U.S. naval presence and its policy of intercepting Iran-linked vessels constitute a violation of the ceasefire terms.

“If the blockade continues to choke our economy, the waterway will be returned to a state of total closure,” an IRGC-affiliated source stated, emphasizing that the passage of any military vessels remains strictly prohibited.

In Washington, President Donald Trump maintained a defiant stance, stating on social media that the U.S. blockade would remain in “full force” until a comprehensive “transaction” with Iran is finalized. While the President claimed that Iran had previously agreed to “never” close the strait again, the reality on the water remains volatile. U.S. officials have reiterated that the blockade is a necessary response to Iran’s previous attacks on merchant shipping and its alleged mining of the channel earlier this year.

The potential re-closure of the world’s most vital energy chokepoint through which roughly 20% of global oil consumption passes has sent shockwaves through international markets. Although oil prices had briefly dipped following news of a temporary opening, the latest rhetoric from Tehran has analysts warning of a return to record-high fuel costs.

European and Asian leaders have called for “freedom of navigation” to be permanently restored, but with both sides dug into their respective positions, the “fog of war” in the Gulf continues to thicken.