Iran fires shots at ships going through Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump threatens to re-start bombing blitz

 At least two merchant vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz have come under fire.

The incident follows Iran's decision to close the critical shipping lane, with Tehran claiming Washington has failed to honour its commitments under a ceasefire deal.

Prior to the closure, multiple ships had begun navigating the strait in the "first major movement" of maritime traffic through the waterway since hostilities began.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations has confirmed it logged a reported incident in waters northeast of Oman, near the strait.According to the Royal Navy-run organisation, a tanker captain reported that vessels belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guard approached his ship before opening fire. Despite the gunfire, both the tanker and its crew are understood to be safe.

The incident was recorded by UK Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors shipping activity in the region.Ships were reportedly informed that the key waterway was "completely open" following Donald Trump's announcement on Friday evening.However, despite hopes that the relationship between Tehran and Washington was improving, the Iranian military said in a statement that the strait had "returned to its previous state" and that Iran's approval is required to travel through it.

The statement from Iran's Central Military HQ said: "Iran agreed to allow a limited number of ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz according to agreements. "But the US did not fulfil their obligations. So, the Strait of Hormuz is now closed again and passage requires IRAN approval." The passage of water has been effectively closed since the start of America's attack on February 28.

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