Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz is ‘closed’ and accused america of violating ceasefire agreements.
The country said on Saturday that ships must seek permission to make use of the waterway and raised the prospect of future charges for passing through it.
It accused the US of a breach within the ceasefire agreement, citing ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon – the top of which was a requirement of the peace deal made by the 2 countries.
Last week, it emerged that Israel is holding its own separate negotiations with the US since it wants to maintain the IDF in Lebanon.
Israel just isn’t a part of the US-Iran deal and has vowed to proceed attacking Hezbollah after the military group targeted northern Israel.
Ending Tehran’s stranglehold on the ocean route, which disrupted global oil and gas supplies and drove up fuel and food prices, had also been a key demand in negotiations.
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The deal to finish the nearly four-month war between the US and Iran only guaranteed protected, toll-free passage of the strait for 60 days, nonetheless, pending the consequence of a final settlement on Tehran’s nuclear plans.
Now, Tehran has said ships are unable to go through the Strait resulting from the alleged breach.
The uncertainty has led many ships to be confused over where it’s protected to travel and the correct procedures for passage, Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer on the Baltic and International Maritime Council, told CNN.
Speaking at a White House briefing on Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance said international waterways ‘needs to be freed from tolls’.
‘The ultimate negotiations can set the terms of what comes afterwards,’ he said.
‘I keep coming back to this fundamental structural point of this negotiation, which is that we’ve got all of the cards.’
But Iran is attempting to exert leverage over the strait by demanding that ships apply for permission to transit ‘resulting from the presence of mine-affected areas and the need of ensuring protected passage and stopping collisions’.
‘To avoid delays at the doorway or exit of the Strait of Hormuz, it is crucial that passing requests, complete with all required information, are submitted not less than 48 hours prior to arriving on the strait area,’ they said.
‘Throughout the 60-day period, tariffs for security, safety, and environmental services, in addition to related Iranian insurances, won’t be collected from shipowners and can be borne by the federal government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.’
Meanwhile, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire after intensified fighting in Lebanon led planned US-Iran talks in Switzerland to be cancelled on Friday.
Former president Barack Obama has said it appeared the US was ‘worse off’ now than before Trump launched the war against Iran in February.
He told NBC: ‘We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, you already know, put enormous strain on our military. Plenty of people have died.
‘And it seems like we’re back where we were before we began the war, except possibly somewhat bit worse off.’
Obama noted Iran had agreed to not develop nuclear weapons within the 2015 deal his administration struck with Tehran, which was derided and scrapped by Trump in his first term.
He said: ‘This administration, or a previous version of this administration, pulled out of it, which caused then Iran to develop more nuclear capability.’
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