Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz Three Days After Reopening

Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed to vessel traffic, citing alleged breaches of a ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel. The command described the closure as the "first step" in response to what it called violations and warned that further measures would follow if aggression continued.

The announcement came three days after the strait partially reopened under a memorandum of understanding signed by President Trump on Wednesday. Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed more than a dozen people hours after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect.

The Iranian command stated that the U.S. had failed to restrain Israeli attacks, breaching the first article of the memorandum.

Shipping and Energy Impact U.S.

Central Command reported that 55 merchant ships transited the strait on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil. Ships had begun moving through the waterway after the agreement was signed, with President Trump stating Friday that traffic had reached levels unseen before the conflict.

Iranian negotiators, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, were scheduled to arrive in Switzerland on Saturday for nuclear talks set to begin Sunday.

“In view of the United States' bad faith and its clear breach of its commitments by failing to implement the first article of the memorandum ending the war, and in response to the continuous and ongoing violation of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon, it hereby announces that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to the passage of vessels.”

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps navy separately confirmed that the strait is closed to all vessels.