Iran said it was once again closing the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane on Saturday (Jun 20) over Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, calling them a violation of its deal with the United States to end the Middle East war.
Israeli troops battled Hezbollah fighters while its warplanes conducted deadly strikes in Lebanon’s south on Saturday, hours after the United States announced a renewed ceasefire in the fighting there.
The ongoing hostilities had already strained the deal signed by US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian this week to halt the wider regional war on all fronts, including Lebanon – a key demand of Tehran’s.
Citing a US “breach of contract” and “the Zionist regime’s continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon”, Iran’s central military command announced Saturday “that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic”.
The strait, an important conduit for oil and gas shipments, was blockaded by Iran for much of the war, sending shockwaves through global energy markets.
Iran had agreed to reopen it under the preliminary agreement with the US, and shipping traffic was starting to pick back up in recent days.
