Iran announced on Saturday that it is once again closing the Strait of Hormuz, citing continued Israeli military strikes in southern Lebanon as a violation of its recently signed agreement with the United States to end the wider Middle East conflict.
The decision came hours after Israeli warplanes carried out fresh airstrikes across southern Lebanon despite a renewed US-announced ceasefire. Lebanese authorities said the attacks killed at least 28 people, raising fears of another escalation in the region.
In a statement, Iran’s central military command accused the United States of breaching its commitments and blamed Israel for repeatedly violating the ceasefire. It said the continued attacks had forced Tehran to suspend vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice.
The strategic waterway is one of the world’s most important shipping routes for oil and natural gas exports. Iran had previously agreed to reopen the strait under the preliminary peace agreement with Washington, allowing maritime traffic to gradually resume after weeks of disruption.
Meanwhile, Iran warned that the broader agreement with the United States could collapse if its terms are not implemented without delay. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the other side must take the necessary steps as soon as possible or risk placing the entire understanding in jeopardy.
The latest developments have added further uncertainty to efforts aimed at ending the regional conflict. The agreement signed earlier this week was intended to halt fighting across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, which had remained a central concern for Tehran throughout the negotiations.
Follow-up technical talks between the United States and Iran, which were scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday, have now been postponed indefinitely. The delay followed Israel’s latest military operations in Lebanon after four Israeli soldiers were reportedly killed in combat, complicating diplomatic efforts to preserve the fragile ceasefire.
