Iran's military command declared the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday, hours after a brief reopening, citing the continued United States naval blockade of Iranian ports. This abrupt reversal casts significant doubt on US President Donald Trump's optimism that a peace deal to end the US-Israeli war with Iran was "very close." The Strait, a vital waterway, typically handles a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas traffic.

On Friday, Tehran had initially declared the Strait open following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon to halt Israel's conflict with Hezbollah. This announcement had a positive impact on global markets, sending oil prices plunging. However, Trump's insistence that the US naval blockade would persist until a comprehensive deal was concluded prompted Iran to threaten re-closure. By late Saturday morning, Iranian state TV reported, citing military central command, that "control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status" and "is under strict management and control of the armed forces," directly blaming the ongoing US blockade. Maritime tracking sites initially showed several commercial ships navigating the narrow waterway, with some hugging Iranian territorial waters and broadcasting their Indian or Chinese identities, seemingly to assert neutrality. Yet, by Saturday morning, some vessels had turned back or aborted their journeys, reflecting the renewed uncertainty.

The broader US-Israeli war with Iran, which commenced on February 28 with a massive wave of surprise attacks, is nearing the end of its two-week ceasefire. Despite the tense situation, President Trump appeared convinced a deal could be finalized soon, declaring Friday "GREAT AND BRILLIANT" and commending Pakistan for its mediating efforts. Islamabad has emerged as a key mediator, with Pakistan's powerful military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, concluding a three-day visit to Iran aimed at securing the peace deal. Concurrently, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey to advance the peace process. Pakistan hosted a marathon round of direct peace talks last weekend attended by US Vice President JD Vance, with a second round anticipated in the Pakistani capital this coming week.

The conflict escalated rapidly after the initial US and Israeli attacks killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and numerous senior leaders. The war spread across the region, with Iran targeting US interests in the Gulf and Hezbollah involving Lebanon by launching rockets at Israel. In a sign of some stability during the ceasefire, Iran's civil aviation agency declared its airspace open for international flights to transit via the east of the country.

However, two major sticking points continue to complicate the peace talks: Iran's stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium and the future status of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump claimed on Friday that Iran had agreed to transfer its approximately 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, close to weapons-grade. He stated, "We're going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators." This assertion was immediately contradicted by Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, who told state TV that "Iran's enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere," and that "Transfer of Iran's enriched uranium to the US has never been raised in negotiations."

Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, firmly stated Iran's position on the Strait. He accused the Americans of "banditry and maritime piracy" by maintaining their blockade despite Iran's good-faith agreement to allow managed passage of a limited number of vessels. Zolfaqari emphasized that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would remain "under the strict management and control of Iran's Armed Forces" until the United States agrees to "the complete freedom of navigation for vessels from their origin in Iran to their destination and from the destination back to their origin in Iran."

The ceasefire in Lebanon, which facilitated the return of tens of thousands of displaced civilians, also saw Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz state that Israel reserved the right to target Hezbollah to prevent attacks and maintain a security zone along the border. However, President Trump publicly rebuffed this stance, prohibiting Israel from further bombing Lebanon, declaring, "Enough is enough!!!" Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, despite initial resistance, called for direct negotiations with Israel to consolidate the truce, secure withdrawals, recover prisoners, and address border disputes, while Hezbollah maintained its readiness for any Israeli violations.

Domestically, ordinary Iranians remained cut off from the international internet, with a blackout implemented at the start of the war reaching its 50th day.

The oscillating status of the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with the unresolved dispute over Iran's enriched uranium, underscores the severe challenges facing the ongoing diplomatic efforts. Despite President Trump's optimistic pronouncements, these significant obstacles continue to imperil the prospects for a lasting peace deal to end the US-Israeli war with Iran.