By Mary McCue Bell (The Washington Times)
Iran said it’s shutting down the Strait of Hormuz just three days after it reopened, citing Israel’s strikes in Lebanon amid a fragile ceasefire agreement.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said Saturday that because the U.S. has failed to rein in Israel’s attacks elsewhere in the region, the temporary peace deal had been violated.
“In view of the United States’ bad faith and its clear breach of its commitments by failing to implement the first article of the memorandum ending the war, and in response to the continuous and ongoing violation of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon, it hereby announces that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to the passage of vessels,” the military command said in a statement reported by state broadcaster IRIB.
Israeli strikes hit Lebanon, killing over a dozen people, just hours after a U.S.-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah went into effect.
The Iranian operational headquarters warned, “Should the aggression continue, further measures have been planned and will be implemented to compel the enemy to abide by and carry out its obligations.”
Shortly after, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps navy said the strait “is closed to all vessels.”
President Trump signed the memorandum of understanding on Wednesday following a chaotic process. The ceasefire framework included partially reopening the critical oil trading corridor after its closure spiked energy prices and strained global fuel supplies.
Under the deal’s terms, both sides had up to 30 days to fully reopen the strait and lift the U.S. naval blockade, meaning a complete reopening was always weeks away even under the best circumstances.
Ships began transiting the waterway after the agreement was signed, with Mr. Trump stating Friday that “ships are flying out of the Hormuz Strait like nobody’s ever seen before.”
U.S. Central Command said Saturday that passage through the strait “increased” as U.S. forces “continued operating in the general area to support freedom of navigation.”
“Safe passage through the international waterway remained intact today as 55 merchant ships transited, moving large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets,” CENTCOM said.
Earlier Saturday, Vice President J.D. Vance told Fox News that this is “basically to where it was before the war even started, and so that suggests that the straits really are open.”
This comes as Trump administration officials are in Switzerland in anticipation of a potential first round of nuclear negotiations scheduled Sunday.
But Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that even as its negotiators are going to Switzerland, not much may happen.
“This trip is therefore about demanding that the other side fulfill its obligations,” he said. If key commitments are not upheld, “then the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized.”
The Iranian delegation, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a lead negotiator with the U.S. in Islamabad, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, was expected to arrive in Switzerland on Saturday.
This editorial was made available to WMAL via The Washington Times.
