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A fragile and fast-shifting conflict took a sharp turn this week as Iran moved to tighten control over the Strait of Hormuz, seizing two commercial vessels just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced he was indefinitely calling off renewed military attacks. With ceasefire terms unclear and no peace talks restarting, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint is once again at the center of a rising geopolitical storm.

Hormuz Flashpoint Escalates as Ships Seized

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and escorted them to Iranian shores, according to shipping companies and Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The ships were identified as the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas and the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca.

The Guards accused both vessels of operating without required permits and tampering with navigation systems.

A third Liberia-flagged container ship was fired upon in the same area but was not damaged and continued sailing, according to maritime security sources.

The Strait of Hormuz, which carried roughly one-fifth of global oil trade before the war, remains a critical and highly contested maritime corridor.

Ceasefire Confusion After Trump’s Sudden Shift

The escalation came after Trump made what appeared to be a unilateral move on Tuesday, announcing the United States would extend a ceasefire while considering an Iranian proposal tied to ending the two-month-old war.

The status of the ceasefire remains unclear. It had been due to expire earlier this week after a two-week period of uncertainty and rising tensions.

Iranian officials did not confirm any agreement to extend the truce and strongly criticized Washington’s continued pressure.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there was no new deadline for the proposal or discussions.

Trump’s shift followed earlier threats of renewed strikes before abruptly stepping back and instead signaling openness to diplomacy through Pakistani mediation.

Iran Rejects Pressure and Demands End to Blockade

Iranian officials pushed back sharply, framing the U.S. stance as a violation of the ceasefire and an act of escalation.

Iran’s parliament speaker and lead negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said reopening the Strait of Hormuz would be impossible under what he described as a breach of the truce.

"You did not achieve your goals through military aggression and you will not achieve them by bullying ⁠either," he wrote. "The only way is recognizing the Iranian people's rights."

He added that a full ceasefire only makes sense if the naval blockade is lifted, calling the restrictions on maritime trade a “flagrant breach of the ceasefire.”

Iran views the U.S. naval presence restricting its shipping as an act of war.

Pentagon Leadership Shakeup Adds to Instability

In a separate development reflecting broader turmoil inside the U.S. defense establishment, Navy Secretary John Phelan has been fired, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the matter.

The Pentagon confirmed Phelan was leaving "effective immediately"

Separately, Iranian media reported Thursday that Iran executed a man convicted of links to an exiled opposition group and Israel’s intelligence service, further intensifying the already volatile security climate.