Iran’s top joint military command has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz for a second time in just days, accusing the United States and Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement underpinning the recently signed memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington.
The closure was announced on Iranian state television, with the command citing what it described as the United States’ “clear breach of trust and violation of its commitment” to the first clause of the agreement, which calls for the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” The command also cited continued Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon as a justification for shutting the waterway, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies normally pass.
The closure comes despite a separate ceasefire deal between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which was supposed to have taken effect at 2pm UK time yesterday. Israel has continued conducting strikes in southern Lebanon, and has made clear it intends to maintain its occupation of the area as it pursues operations against Hezbollah, in apparent defiance of the terms set out in the broader US-Iran agreement.
Ships had begun transiting the Strait of Hormuz following the signing of the interim agreement earlier in the week, with the reopening seen as one of the most tangible early benefits of the deal for global energy markets. The renewed closure threatens to reverse those gains and represents a serious setback for an agreement that has come under significant strain within days of being formally signed.
The joint military command issued a further warning alongside the closure announcement, stating that “if the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned,” raising the prospect of further escalation should the situation in Lebanon fail to de-escalate.
