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Iran\u2019s military declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday after a head-spinning 24 hours of mixed messages from the regime that underscored friction between competing power centers.<\/p>\n
Early Friday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait was \u201ccompletely\u201d open to ships that followed Iran\u2019s established route. President Donald Trump also announced Iran had reopened the narrow waterway, sparking a massive stock market rally.<\/p>\n
But the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps soon asserted it remained in firm control of the strait. Iran\u2019s Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, also took the unusual step of criticizing Araghchi\u2019s declaration that the strait was fully open, calling it \u201ca complete lack of tact in information dissemination.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fars, another IRGC-linked news agency, piled on Araghchi, saying that \u201cfollowing the unexpected tweet from the Foreign Minister about the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian society has been plunged into an atmosphere of confusion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February and killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with several other top leaders, the IRGC has taken a more assertive role in the regime\u2019s military and diplomatic responses.<\/p>\n
While IRGC commanders have also been killed, the remaining officers are seen steering Iran toward a more hard-line, combative stance, favoring continued fighting instead of a ceasefire deal that would erode its main source of leverage over the U.S.\u2014the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Saeid Golkar, an Iran expert at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, said Khamenei\u2019s death divided the country\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the main arbitrator is gone, the fight between different factions has started,\u201d he told the Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n
Guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) makes its approach alongside fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187) for a replenishment-at-sea during Operation Epic Fury, March 27, 2026.<\/p>\n
U.S. Navy<\/p>\n
Similarly, the Institute for the Study of War said in a note on Friday that the IRGC\u2019s criticism of Araghchi is \u201creflective of broader divisions within the Iranian regime.\u201d <\/p>\n
It also cited reports that internal disagreements within the regime disrupted the ceasefire talks in Islamabad last weekend, indicating that different Iranian factions have very different negotiating positions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe factional infighting in the regime has been exacerbated by the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who used to cohere the regime\u2019s various factions and act as an arbiter between the factions,\u201d ISW added. \u201cThe absence of a strong leader to keep IRGC factions in line means that these factions will likely continue to play a dominant role in shaping Iranian decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n
The IRGC warned that the U.S. naval blockade on Iran would prevent the strait from reopening. On Friday, Trump insisted the blockade would continue until a deal is reached.<\/p>\n
Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, told reporters Friday that the blockade can be sustained \u201cas long as necessary,\u201d adding that no ships have been able to evade it and that U.S. forces have also been removing mines from the Gulf.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Lloyd\u2019s List Intelligence said at least five Iran-linked tankers heading to Malaysia have changed course since the U.S. Navy tightened its interdiction operation to include ships carrying Iranian oil around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine speaks as a map of the Strait of Hormuz is displayed during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 16, 2026.<\/p>\n
SAUL LOEB \/ AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
With the U.S. targeting Iran\u2019s oil revenue via a naval blockade, the economy as well as the IRGC\u2019s source of funds will come under more strain. <\/p>\n
On Saturday, ships in the Persian Gulf reported coming under attack from projectiles and small fast-attack boats, which the IRGC is known to use.<\/p>\n
But Iran\u2019s military leadership also signaled diplomacy is still ongoing, with state television saying the Supreme National Security Council is discussing new U.S. proposals for a peace deal.<\/p>\n
Gregory Brew, a senior analyst covering oil and Iran for the Eurasia Group, downplayed the disagreement within the regime, though Trump\u2019s rush to declare Hormuz open made matters worse.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch public spats between diplomats and \u2018the battlefield\u2019 are not unusual, though there haven\u2019t been many during the war,\u201d he explained in a post on X on Saturday. \u201cEvidence of miscommunication, not serious divisions. Though the outcome\u2014a firmer line from IRGC and SNSC, kinetic actions against tankers, silence from MFA\u2014aligns with the broader trend of the military\u2019s expanding power.\u201d<\/p>\n
#Irans #Hormuz #whiplash #highlights #divided #regime #fight #factions #started<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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