Strait of Hormuz: Open, closed, open, closed - What's actually happening?

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Strait of Hormuz: Open, closed, open, closed - What's actually happening? Middle East

Issued on: 18/04/2026 - 23:26Modified: 19/04/2026 - 00:15

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The confusion around the Strait of Hormuz continues at pace. Having opened the straight on Friday for commercial vessels, Iran has moved to close the crucial channel once again. Tehran has accused the United States of "piracy" and added that any ship approaching the straights will now be targetted, until the US blockade is over. Jean-Emile Jammine speaks to International Affairs Editor, Andrew Hilliar, and Yousef Alshammari, President of London College of Energy Economics.

Keywords for this article

• Strait of Hormuz
• Donald Trump
• Iran

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