Iran Guards say Hormuz 'closed' for shipping to and from US-Israel ports

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday that the movement of any vessel 'to and from' ports of origin belonging to US-Israel allies, to any destination and through any corridor, including the Strait of Hormuz, is prohibited. The IRGC Navy dismissed assertions that the vital waterway is open for transit, insisting that it remains under a blockade.

"The movement of any vessel 'to and from' ports of origin belonging to allies and supporters of the Zionist-American enemies, to any destination and through any corridor, is prohibited," it said.

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In a statement, the Guards announced that they had turned back three ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, adding the route was closed to vessels travelling to and from ports linked to its "enemies".

"This morning, following the lies of the corrupt US president claiming that the Strait of Hormuz was open, three container ships of different nationalities... were turned back after a warning from the IRGC Navy," the Guards said on their Sepah News website.

US President Donald Trump said earlier that Iran had allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a "present" to show it was serious about negotiations to end the war.

The President noted that his call would depend on feedback from top US officials involved in the negotiations, including US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. "I don't know yet. I don't know. Mr Witkoff and JD and Jared will tell me whether or not they think it's going along," Trump remarked.

Also read: The Iran war is now all about the future of Hormuz

He signalled that there was still room for negotiations. "We have a lot of time, you know what? It's a day in 'Trump time'. A day, do you know what it is? That's an eternity," he added, referring to the extension he previously granted until Friday.

Earlier on Monday, Trump instructed the US Department of War to delay military action against Iranian power plants and energy sites for five days. In a post on Truth Social, he described "very good and productive conversations" aimed at resolving regional hostilities.

Trump stated that the decision to pause strikes was based on the "tenor and tone" of these discussions, which he characterised as "in-depth, detailed, and constructive." He noted that the US and Iran were discussing a "complete and total resolution" of their hostilities in the Middle East.

(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)