TEHRAN — Iran’s armed forces announced on Saturday that they would close the Strait of Hormuz, just three days after the strategic waterway reopened, accusing the United States of failing to prevent Israeli attacks in Lebanon in violation of the recent ceasefire agreement.
The move marks the first major dispute between Washington and Tehran since the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this week aimed at ending the conflict and launching broader negotiations.
The announcement came as US envoys arrived in Switzerland ahead of a possible first round of nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday.
An Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Switzerland on Saturday.
A senior US defense official said the American military had not observed Iranian military movements indicating an imminent closure of the waterway.
“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,” US Central Command said on Saturday.
Before the conflict, approximately 130 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day.
The Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters of the Iranian armed forces said the decision was taken because of what it described as US “bad faith” and a failure to implement commitments contained in the memorandum of understanding.
“In light of the United States’ clear bad faith and breach of its commitment to implement the first clause of the memorandum of understanding for ending the war, and in response to the continuous and ongoing violations of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon, it is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to maritime traffic,” the statement said.
The Iranian military described the move as “the first step” in responding to the alleged ceasefire violations and warned that additional measures had been prepared if the situation continued.
Shortly afterward, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps navy said the strait was “closed to all vessels” and warned ships not to approach.
The developments come as diplomatic efforts continue in Switzerland, where Iranian and US officials are expected to discuss the implementation of the memorandum and the next phase of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
Source: Saudi Gazette