Iran’s top military command has announced it will shut the Strait of Hormuz in response to alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement by the US and Israel.
The command described the closure of the crucial shipping passage as the “first response” to what it characterises as breaches of the deal, according to Reuters.
Iran’s military cited Israel’s continued attacks in southern Lebanon as the trigger for the decision, as reported by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The military command specifically referenced a “violation” of the first clause of a memorandum of understanding signed to end the war between the two sides.
That clause calls for the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” a condition Iran says has not been met.
A statement broadcast on Iranian state television warned that “if the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned,” signalling the possibility of further escalation.
A ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group had been scheduled to take effect at 2pm UK time on Friday, but the agreement quickly came under severe strain.
Israel launched strikes against multiple locations in southern Lebanon, which the country’s state news agency confirmed, drawing international concern about the fragility of the truce.
The Israeli Defence Forces claimed those strikes came in response to Hezbollah launching more than 50 projectiles at soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.
The IDF said it “remains committed” to the ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah but “will continue to operate to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel and IDF soldiers.”
Israel has also insisted it will continue to occupy southern Lebanon, a position that complicates any lasting resolution to the conflict.
US Vice President JD Vance pushed back on the Iranian announcement, telling Fox News on Saturday that there is no evidence Tehran is closing the Strait of Hormuz.
Vance said talks with Iran were progressing well and expressed confidence that the ceasefire could be maintained despite the heightened tensions.
Peace talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland are set to continue, the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed on Saturday according to Reuters.
Friday’s negotiations were abruptly suspended after Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers and Israel carried out retaliatory strikes in south Lebanon that killed at least 18 people.