Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again over US blockade of its ports

Reports of Iranian gunboats opening fire on a tanker in strait, after Tehran said it is closing the waterway until the US lifts the blockade of its ports.Iran says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again, calling the decision a response to a continued blockade of its ports by the United States.The Iranian military on Saturday said control of the strategic waterway, through which 20 percent of the global oil flows, has “returned to its previous state”, with reports saying Iranian gunboats fired at a merchant vessel as it attempted to ‌cross.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iran war day 50: What’s happening in Tehran, Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon?list 2 of 4As oil prices plunge below $91 after weeks, a new Hormuz crisis emergeslist 3 of 4Pakistan PM, army chief wrap up key trips in push for more US-Iran talkslist 4 of 4Hormuz: Spin in the Straitend of listThe closure of the strait came hours after it was reopened, with more than a dozen commercial ships passing through the waterway, after a US-mediated 10-day ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Lebanon.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday said in a statement, cited by the Iranian media, that the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports represented “acts of piracy and maritime theft”, adding that the control over Hormuz is “under the strict management and control of the armed forces”.“Until the US restores full freedom of navigation for vessels travelling from Iran to their destinations and back, the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled and in its previous condition,” it said.By 10:30 GMT on Saturday, no fewer than eight oil and gas tankers had crossed the strait, but at least as many ships appeared to have turned back, having begun to exit the Gulf, the AFP news agency reported.The toing and froing over the strait cast doubt on US President Donald Trump’s optimism the day before, that a peace deal to end the US-Israel war on Iran was “very close”.