NEWS
Iran Announces Closure of Strait of Hormuz Again, Links Move to US Forces Presence and Israel-Lebanon Tensions
Iran has reportedly announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz once again, citing what it described as the continued presence of United States forces in the region and Israel’s refusal to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon.
According to a report by the New York Post, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that the United States was violating the memorandum of understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, which was signed on Wednesday, June 17, by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The IRGC stated that the reopening of the strategic waterway would remain suspended until what it described as key conditions of the agreement were fulfilled.
“Since Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, the complete lifting of the naval blockade, and the withdrawal of American terrorist forces from the Persian Gulf and the region are among the main conditions of the agreement between Iran and the United States, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until these conditions are met,” it said. “All ships are requested, for the sake of their security and safety, not to approach the Strait of Hormuz. Any vessel that defies this directive will be targeted.”
The development has heightened concerns over renewed tensions in the Middle East, as the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important maritime routes, serving as a major passage for global energy shipments.
Meanwhile, the United States Central Command reportedly announced on Thursday that it had formally lifted its two-month blockade on Iranian ports. However, it remained unclear what the IRGC meant by the claim that the lifting of the restrictions was not “complete.”
Shortly after the IRGC statement, a US official claimed that Israel and Hezbollah had reached a cease-fire agreement. The claim came despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that Israeli forces would continue operations against security threats.
“We will restore security and prosperity to northern towns,” Netanyahu said. “That requires maintaining the security zone in southern Lebanon.”
The Israel Defense Forces also released a new map indicating an expanded operational zone, showing troops positioned more than six miles inside Lebanese territory, including areas north of the Litani River.
The memorandum of understanding signed Wednesday reportedly included commitments that the United States and Iran, alongside their allies, would respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while ending hostilities in the region.
Simcha Brodsky, president of the open-source intelligence organization OSINT613, told The Post that Iran was taking advantage of the structure of the agreement and the timeline involved in lifting the US blockade.
“What we’re seeing is a direct result of the wording in the US-Iran MoU. The deal lifts the US blockade in phases (‘fully within 30 days’), so the US is mid-process by design,” he said. “Iran is using that gap: It says the strait stays closed until the blockade is ‘completely lifted,’ so it can claim the lift isn’t done and call this a re-closure.”
He added that Iran had connected the Israel-Lebanon conflict to the dispute over the agreement.
“Iran has now bolted the Israel-Lebanon fighting onto that pretext to hard-stop the whole deal, roping Israel into an agreement it never approved or negotiated.”