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Iran's military has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all maritime traffic, escalating tensions just days after a U.S.-brokered memorandum of understanding aimed at ending recent conflicts.
In a statement from its Khatam al-Anbia headquarters, Iran described the move as the "first step" in response to alleged U.S. violations of the interim MOU and continued Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire agreement. Iranian officials warned that further measures would follow if the violations persist.
The announcement directly contradicts recent statements from the Trump administration. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News he was "not seeing any evidence that the Iranians are still closing down the Strait of Hormuz," while President Trump had claimed earlier on Saturday that ships were "flowing out of the Hormuz Strait like nobody has ever seen before."
Iran pointed to two main factors: the United States' alleged failure to fully implement the terms of the MOU, and Israel's ongoing strikes in southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanese reports, Israeli strikes on Thursday killed at least three people in the region—one day after the MOU was signed. A drone strike near Kfar Tebnit killed two, while a separate attack in Zabadin claimed at least one more life.
Israeli soldiers are also being killed in southern Lebanon by Hezbollah FPV drones. It's tit for tat.
Israeli officials have signaled they do not feel bound by the deal's provisions for an immediate and permanent halt to military actions. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly rejected calls to stop operations, stating: "We cannot stop destroying houses in southern Lebanon. We cannot stop, period. We must continue to control the territory even if Trump disagrees. We are an independent state."
Ben-Gvir's comments followed warnings from both Trump and Vance at the G7 summit urging Israel not to "bomb every house" in Lebanon and cautioning that it could not afford to alienate its key ally.
The U.S.-Iran MOU, signed earlier this week, established a 60-day window for negotiators to reach a permanent agreement on Iran's nuclear program. It included provisions for a potential $300 billion reconstruction fund and sanctions relief.
However, planned technical talks in Switzerland were reported canceled Thursday after Vance pulled out of his scheduled trip. Iran had already indicated it would not send a delegation without clear evidence of U.S. compliance.
