Iran said on Saturday that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz to vessel traffic, a key maritime route for global energy shipments, citing deadly Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and accusing the United States of breaching clauses of a Memorandum of Understanding between Washington and Tehran. The move marks a sharp escalation in already volatile Middle East tensions.
Iran’s central military command officially declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all maritime traffic, alleging repeated U.S. and Israeli violations of understandings between Tehran and Washington.
“It is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic. This first step is a response to the enemy’s breach of promise, and if the aggression continues, further steps will be planned and taken to force the enemy to comply with its obligations,” the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a statement reported by Iranian state media.
The announcement represents a major escalation at a critical chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes, coming amid intensifying cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and stalled diplomatic efforts involving Iran, the United States, and regional mediators.
The maritime escalation coincided with continued Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, where at least 32 people have been killed since dawn, according to Lebanese officials, as hostilities persist despite reported ceasefire understandings.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike hit a house in Sohmor in the western Bekaa Valley while a family was inside, killing four people and injuring one. Rescue teams were still searching for a child believed to be trapped under rubble.
Separately, Lebanon’s Health Emergency Operations Centre said an Israeli strike on Qanarit in the Sidon district killed at least seven people and wounded 13 others in an initial toll.
The Israeli military said Hezbollah launched more than 50 projectiles overnight toward Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it remains “committed to the ceasefire agreement” in Lebanon, while responding to what it described as repeated violations by Hezbollah.
The IDF said the rocket fire targeted its troops in multiple incidents overnight and described the attacks as “repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement.” It added that it “will not accept harm to Israeli civilians and its forces, and will respond forcefully to any use of force against them.”
The military said it carried out strikes on dozens of Hezbollah positions, including rocket launch sites, weapons storage facilities, and command centres, as cross-border exchanges continued despite diplomatic efforts to stabilize the front.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it remained committed to a ceasefire but warned it would respond to any Israeli attempt to advance or seize territory in southern Lebanon. The group said it had targeted Israeli forces near Nabatieh and accused Israel of repeated violations of ceasefire understandings.
“The Israeli enemy is once again resorting to false pretexts to justify its violation of the ceasefire, which it has never adhered to, including the violations it has been committing since last night until today,” the group said.
“The Islamic Resistance declares that, while adhering to the ceasefire, it will not hesitate to confront any attempt by the enemy to seize land and expand its occupation,” it added. “However, it remains vigilant, prepared to respond, given the enemy’s history of treachery and betrayal.”
Despite reported ceasefire arrangements, Israel and Hezbollah have continued exchanging strikes, with both sides accusing each other of violations.
