Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz Hours After Trump Said It Would ‘Never’ Close Again

Key Takeaways:

• Iran re-imposed Strait of Hormuz controls connected April 18, 2026, blaming the U.S. blockade and accusing Trump of making 7 mendacious claims.
• Brent crude rebounded toward $94-$96 per tube aft dropping 9% connected April 17, whipsawing lipid futures markets.
• Bitcoin pulled backmost to the $75,800-$77,100 scope aft concisely clearing $78,000 connected April 17, Strait reopening news.

U.S. Blockade Blamed arsenic Iran Shuts Strait of Hormuz Less Than a Day After Reopening

The Strait of Hormuz is simply a constrictive transition betwixt Iran and Oman done which astir 20% of planetary lipid and liquefied earthy gas usually flows. It has been closed oregon heavy restricted since U.S.-Iran tensions escalated successful aboriginal 2026, including U.S. strikes and a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

On April 17, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the strait was “completely open” to each commercialized vessels for the duration of a ceasefire tied to a Lebanon-related truce. Trump welcomed the quality connected societal media, calling it “fully unfastened and acceptable for business” and claiming Iran had agreed the waterway would ne'er beryllium closed again.

Trump’s Truth Social station connected April 17.

Less than 24 hours later, Iranian authorities media outlets, including IRIB and the IRGC-linked Fars News Agency, alongside respective planetary publications, reported that the Iranian subject had returned the strait to “its erstwhile state.” Vessels present require Iranian support to pass, and determination shipping reports confirmed that aggregate ships were already being turned around.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf went further, accusing Trump of making “7 claims, each 7 false” wrong a abbreviated span of time. Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh confirmed that Trump’s communicative did not lucifer the facts connected the ground, stating vessels indispensable coordinate with Iranian forces.

Iran placed the blasted squarely connected the United States. The re-closure, officials said, was a nonstop effect to Washington’s refusal to assistance its naval blockade of Iranian Gulf ports. Iran has maintained it ne'er agreed to support the strait permanently open, calling that framing a fabrication.

Oil markets had already priced successful a short-lived peace. On April 17, aft the reopening announcement, Brent crude dropped astir 9% to settee adjacent $92 per barrel. WTI fell to the $82-$83 range. The driblet fed a broader marketplace rally arsenic traders priced retired energy-driven inflation fears.

By April 18, the reversal was underway. Brent futures climbed backmost toward $94-$96 per tube with intraday volatility, portion WTI futures pushed toward $90. Forward contracts for Brent June 2026 bespeak continued near-term hazard premiums, and shipping companies stay cautious arsenic information guarantees enactment unresolved.

Bitcoin tracked the aforesaid sentiment swing. On April 17, BTC cleared $77,000 and concisely traded supra the $78,000 marker, its highest level since aboriginal February. Crypto-adjacent equities, including Coinbase and Strategy, moved higher alongside broader hazard assets.

On April 18, pursuing the closure quality spreading, bitcoin pulled backmost to the $75,800-$77,100 range. The anticipation of a bull trap could instrumentality spot if geopolitical tensions proceed to escalate, though the anterior day’s momentum has not been afloat erased.

At 8:30 a.m. Eastern clip connected Saturday, bitcoin is trading conscionable supra the $76,000 range. The ceasefire tied to the strait’s little opening remains fragile. Some reports bespeak a deadline of astir April 22. The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports stays successful effect, and Iran has shown it volition usage the strait arsenic leverage until that changes.

Both governments person present staked retired nationalist positions that permission small country for quiescent resolution. Trump frames the concern arsenic advancement toward a atomic deal. Iran frames Trump’s mentation of events arsenic fiction. The waterway carrying a 5th of the world’s vigor proviso sits successful between.