Closed or not? Strait of Hormuz turns into a baffling puzzle amid varied blockade statements
The Strait of Hormuz blockade has triggered confusion over whether it is even open or not. First, Iran closed it, then Iran claimed it wasn't shut. Then Trump imposed his own blockade on top of the existing one, and now he has claimed that it is "permanently open."
Is the Strait of Hormuz blocked or not?
The Iran war is at a confusing crossroads with different narratives going on at the same time, and with no clarity over the status of certain things. For one, the Strait of Hormuz blockade has caused quite a dilemma. After US-Iran talks failed, Trump announced a naval blockade of the waterway. However, Iran had shut down the strait soon after the war started, and Trump's move was apparently a way to get the country back to the negotiating table.
Strait of Hormuz blockade creates major confusion
But the move simply perplexed everyone. How do you block something that is already blocked? What is really going on? Iran mocked Trump's blockade on social media. "You know what!! Iran will block the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz," the Iran Consulate in Hyderabad wrote. The consulate wrote in another post, "The Strait of Hormuz isn’t social media. If someone blocks you, you can’t just block them back."
Trump now claims Strait of Hormuz is permanently open
Trump has now further mixed up the Hormuz puzzle, after he claimed in a Truth Social post that Hormuz is now "permanently open". He wrote that he had secret talks with China's President Xi Jinping, and he is "very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz". Trump added, "I am doing it for them, also - And the World. This situation will never happen again." Adding his own spice mix, Trump even claimed that Xi would give him a "big fat hug" when he visits China.
A senior White House official says 'blockade is fully in effect'
However, an audio suggests that the strait isn't really open. The US military released audio footage on Wednesday (April 15) of a radio message to ships in the Strait, warning them that they will be "boarded". "This is a legal action. All vessels are advised to immediately return to port if leaving, and discontinue transit to Iran if that is your next port of call. Do not attempt to breach the blockade," a person can be heard saying. Daily Mail cited a senior White House official as saying that despite Trump’s promise to reopen it, "the blockade is fully in effect and working."
Satellite images show trucks removing rubble
Iran is reportedly digging up the missile launchers buried by US-Israel attacks. It is using the two-week ceasefire to reclaim the equipment in Tabriz and Khomeyn by clearing the entrances to these bases. Satellite images show trucks carrying away the rubble to reach the missile launchers. The US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on April 8 to negotiate an end to the war that started on February 28.
US-Iran ceasefire deadline could be pushed
The US and Israel had struck the bases in a planned manner to prevent Iran from accessing its missiles and launchers. But now Iran is using the time to unearth what it can, especially since talks between the countries failed in Pakistan. There is no clarity on whether the ceasefire could be extended, although reports suggest Donald Trump wants to push the deadline. However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has denied these reports.
US on Iran's missile programme
Earlier, the US claimed that Iran's missile programme had been left in tatters. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said that the military operation had "functionally destroyed" Iran's missile programme, and the country has been left "combat ineffective for years to come". Experts say that this might not be true, and Iran could simply dig up the missiles and launchers and repair them to put them back to work.
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