Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz Over Israeli Attacks on Lebanon
The Iranian military has announced the re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.
Iran stated that Israel's strikes in Lebanon violate Tehran's agreement with the United States aimed at ending the war.
"Do not approach the Strait of Hormuz; otherwise, your security will be jeopardised," said Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.
The US-Iran agreement includes provisions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane through which approximately 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes.
Following Iran's announcement, the US Central Command (Centcom) reported that safe passage through the strait "remained intact," noting an increase in commercial ship traffic on Saturday, with 55 merchant vessels transiting.
It remains unclear whether Centcom's statement referred to maritime traffic before or after Tehran's declaration.
Accusations of US Violation of Agreement
The Iranian military accused the United States of breaching the US-Iran deal by failing to implement the first clause of their 14-point memorandum of understanding, which calls for "the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon."
At least 20 individuals have reportedly died due to Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, occurring less than 24 hours after a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was announced. Lebanon's health ministry reported that 4,057 people have been killed since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah resumed on 2 March.
Iran's top joint military command cited Israel's "continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon" in a statement broadcast on state television as the justification for re-closing the strait.
"It is noted that this first step is a response to the enemy's breach of promise, and if the aggression continues, further steps will be planned and taken to force the enemy to comply with its obligations."
Context of the US-Iran Agreement and Ongoing Conflict
This development follows days after the US and Iranian presidents signed an initial agreement aimed at ending the war, including in Lebanon, with immediate effect. The agreement includes a commitment to further negotiations to reach a final deal within the next 60 days.
Israeli officials stated they have no intention of withdrawing Israeli forces from Lebanon and emphasized that the conflict with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group is separate from the war with Iran.
The Israeli military confirmed that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect at 16:00 local time (14:00 BST) on Friday, but a spokesperson later indicated that Israeli forces would "continue to remove immediate threats."
Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued airstrikes in Lebanon. On Saturday, a family of four—a father, mother, and their two children—were killed in the town of Barich in southern Lebanon, according to state media reports.
The Israeli military stated it had targeted "dozens" of Hezbollah positions after the group fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in the area.
Additionally, the Israeli military reported that an Israeli soldier was killed in combat in southern Lebanon on Saturday.
Hezbollah has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and asserted the group's right to "defend their land and sovereignty" amid ongoing Israeli attacks.
US Response and Regional Implications
The US government has criticized Israel's ongoing military operations in Lebanon, which became involved in the conflict when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader.
Washington has expressed concerns that the escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon could undermine the Iran peace agreement.
Minutes before Tehran announced the latest closure of the Strait of Hormuz, US Vice-President JD Vance stated he expected to travel to Switzerland in the coming days for talks with Iran.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran's participation in the talks in Switzerland would focus on "demanding that the other side fulfil its commitments."
Significance of the Strait of Hormuz
Iran had effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli attacks on 28 February, causing significant disruption to global energy markets.
The strait is sufficiently deep to accommodate the world's largest crude oil tankers and is utilized by major Middle Eastern oil and liquefied natural gas producers, as well as their customers.
In 2025, approximately 20 million barrels of oil and oil products passed through the strait daily, according to estimates from the US Energy Information Administration. This volume represents nearly $600 billion (£447 billion) worth of energy trade annually.
