Iran’s military has shut the Strait of Hormuz – the world’s most vital oil chokepoint – accusing Israel of violating a US-brokered ceasefire just hours after it was signed. The announcement, carried on state television, declared the closure as a “first step” in response to “the enemy’s breach of promise”, warning that “if the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned.”
The strait was reopened earlier this week following the interim agreement between Washington and Tehran, but Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed at least 16 people, including two children, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. The strikes hit the Nabatieh district and Saida, mere hours after the ceasefire took effect. The Israeli Defence Forces said the strikes were a response to attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
“Iran closes Strait of Hormuz after Israeli strikes kill 16 in Lebanon, violating ceasefire.”
Iran’s joint military command, in a statement read on state TV, specifically cited “Israeli attacks and US 'bad faith' and its clear breach of its commitments” as justification for the closure. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Bagahei said Iran’s negotiating team was heading to Switzerland – a trip originally scheduled for Friday but cancelled – but signalled little progress until the US honours the deal. “This trip is therefore about demanding that the other side fulfill its obligations,” Bagahei said. “If any part of these understandings … is not implemented, then the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized.”
Despite the military’s announcement, US Vice President JD Vance, who plans to travel to Switzerland for further talks, claimed there was no evidence the strait had been closed. “We got 16 million barrels out of the Strait of Hormuz in just the last 24 hours,” Vance told Fox News. “That is basically to where it was before the war even started, and so that suggests that the straits really are open.” US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland “for a few hours, dealing with some of the technical elements of this negotiation”.
Meanwhile, seven people remained trapped under rubble after the strikes on the town of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages. Mediators are scrambling to halt the fighting after a heavy exchange on Friday killed at least 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the IDF to “hold its fire” in Lebanon, according to Channel 12 news, following coordination with the US.