Iran Tightens Hormuz Blockade, Trump Ceasefire Falters
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- Trump posted on his social media platform that Iran is doing a poor job of allowing oil through the Strait of Hormuz, casting doubt on the ceasefire agreement.
- Iran continued to enforce a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, demanding tolls for safe passage and allowing only seven ships to pass in the past 24 hours versus about 140 normally.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy posted a map of alternative shipping routes to help vessels avoid naval mines in the strait.
- International Rescue Committee warned that the near‑total blockade threatens regional food security and has knock‑on effects on humanitarian aid.
- UN International Maritime Organization said there is no legal basis for tolls on international straits under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, calling such tolls a dangerous precedent.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said allies are providing logistical support and preparing mine‑hunters and frigates to secure the strait, moving step by step with speed.
- Israel continued air strikes in Lebanon, killing at least 303 people and wounding over 1,000, a conflict not covered by the US‑Iran ceasefire.
Why it matters: Shipping firms and oil refiners lose access to a key transit route, driving up physical oil prices and threatening food supplies, while the US and its allies gain leverage to press Iran, and Iran loses diplomatic credibility as its blockade persists despite ceasefire talks.
