Iran Temporarily Closes Strait of Hormuz for Military Drills as Nuclear Talks Conclude in Geneva

Iranian state television announced on Tuesday that parts of the Strait of Hormuz would be closed for several hours as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted live-fire drills in one of the world's most strategically sensitive waterways . The temporary shutdown, framed by Tehran as a security measure due to military exercises by the country's Revolutionary Guards, marked the first time Iran had restricted passage through the strait since US President Donald Trump threatened the Islamic Republic with military action in January What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

The timing was difficult to dismiss as coincidental. As IRGC naval forces fired weapons and deployed armed drones across the narrow corridor separating Iran from Oman, Iranian and US negotiators on Tuesday held their second round of talks about Iran's nuclear program in Geneva . Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, signalling that it can disrupt the key maritime artery that carries a fifth of the world's oil What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours.. The dual-track approach of military posturing and diplomatic engagement has become a defining feature of Tehran's strategy under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who days earlier warned Washington through Iranian state media that the Islamic Republic possesses the capability to respond to the growing American naval presence in the region Why is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran so crucial?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway that lies between Oman and Iran, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea . At its narrowest point, the waterway is just thirty-three kilometers wide, with the shipping lane just two miles wide in either direction, making it crowded and perilous . The US Energy Information Administration has long described it as the world's most important oil transit chokepoint . Enormous volumes of crude, condensate and fuels flow through the waterway daily, according to data from energy and freight market analysts . Large quantities of crude extracted by OPEC countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq from oil fields across the Persian Gulf region pass through the strait en route to consumers worldwide What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours.. Qatar, one of the world's largest producers of liquefied natural gas, also relies heavily on the strait to ship its LNG exports What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

The IRGC exercise was designed to improve Iran's operational readiness and bolster its deterrence capabilities . Iran's Fars news agency reported that the exercise required parts of the strait to be closed temporarily to ensure shipping safety and maintain navigation standards . The drill, which Iranian media dubbed the "Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz," involved both surface naval forces and armed drones operating across the waterway What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

Oil markets absorbed the news with relative composure. Energy traders had been closely watching the day's developments, but the temporary nature of the closure and signals of diplomatic progress in Geneva kept prices in check. International benchmark Brent crude traded lower on the day, erasing earlier gains, while analysts attributed the muted reaction partly to thinned trading volumes due to the US Presidents' Day holiday and Lunar New Year closures across much of Asia Why is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran so crucial?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours.. Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at BIMCO, a global shipowners' association, assessed the disruption as likely to cause minor delays to inbound shipping rather than major problems, but noted that commercial vessels were expected to comply with Iran's request to keep clear of the exercise area given the current level of regional tension Why is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran so crucial?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

The diplomatic track offered a measure of cautious optimism. After the second round of indirect talks concluded in Geneva on Tuesday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that the two sides had reached an understanding on the main principles for a potential agreement, though he cautioned that progress did not mean an accord was imminent and that significant work remained . Araghchi had arrived in Geneva on Monday, where he met with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and signalled Iran's willingness to engage constructively while ruling out capitulation to American pressure Why is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran so crucial?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours.. Iranian state television had previously reported that the indirect talks would focus on Iran's nuclear programme, not on its domestic politics or the crackdown on protesters Why is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran so crucial?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

The talks themselves remained indirect — channelled through Omani intermediaries — and Washington has not publicly commented on Araghchi's characterisation of the outcome. The first round of negotiations took place in Oman earlier this month, and Tuesday's session represented an escalation in both venue and urgency. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday night, Trump expressed confidence that Iran wished to reach an agreement, suggesting that Tehran understood the stakes of a failed diplomatic process Why is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran so crucial?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

The backdrop to the negotiations is a deepening crisis inside Iran. The US has ramped up its military presence in the Middle East in recent weeks to pressure the Islamic Republic over its nuclear ambitions and the bloody crackdown on anti-government protests . Protests began on 28 December 2025, sparked by a currency collapse and persistent hyperinflation, but quickly turned into nationwide anti-regime demonstrations, prompting Tehran's violent crackdown and a complete information blockade . Human rights organisations and insiders in Iran have reported that thousands are feared killed, though precise casualty figures remain difficult to establish due to the information blockade. Authorities have also detained tens of thousands across the country Why is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran so crucial?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours.. Trump urged Iranians in mid-January to keep protesting, and the US subsequently deployed its most advanced aircraft carrier to the Middle East to join another carrier already in the region, further pressuring Tehran to negotiate Why is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran so crucial?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

Critics of the administration's approach argue that the combination of military pressure and diplomatic engagement creates contradictory signals. Some analysts question whether Tuesday's drill was calibrated as a response to the growing US naval presence or as a negotiating tactic aimed at demonstrating that Iran retains escalatory options even while sitting at the table. Others contend that the temporary nature of the closure suggests Tehran is not genuinely prepared to follow through on its longstanding threat to fully shut the strait — a move that would be economically self-defeating. Iran's own economy heavily relies on the free passage of goods and vessels through the seaway, as its oil exports are entirely sea-based, and a full closure would sever Tehran's relationship with China, its primary oil customer What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

Gulf Arab nations have also taken steps to reduce their vulnerability. Saudi Arabia operates a major east-west crude oil pipeline, and the UAE has a pipeline linking its onshore oil fields to an export terminal on the Gulf of Oman, providing significant bypass capacity in the event of disruptions in the waterway What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours.. The EIA estimates that a substantial volume of crude could be rerouted through these alternative channels What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours..

The question now is whether the principles Araghchi described will translate into a substantive framework or remain aspirational language. A third round of talks has not yet been formally announced, and the window for diplomacy may be narrowing. Last year's conflict between Israel and Iran put renewed focus on security in the waterway, and electronic interference with commercial ship navigation systems surged around the strait and the wider Gulf during that confrontation . The vast majority of crude and fuel shipments transiting the strait are destined for Asian consumers, with China, India, Japan and South Korea as the top destinations What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours.. Any lasting blockade or disruptions to oil flows could trigger a sharp spike in crude prices and hit energy importers hard, particularly in Asia What is the Strait of Hormuz off Iran?dw.com·SecondaryIran on Tuesday announced it would partially close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, a critical waterway for the world's oil trade. Iranian state television framed the closure as a "security" measure due to military drills by the country's Revolutionary Guards, which began a day earlier. It was unclear how long the partial closure would last. The Associated Press reported that the curbs would last several hours.. For these economies, a prolonged disruption would carry consequences far beyond the price of a barrel of oil — it would test the resilience of supply chains and alliances built on the assumption that the world's most critical energy chokepoint remains open for business.