Iran shuts Hormuz again over Israel’s unabated strikes on Lebanon
Iran said on Saturday it was once again closing the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane on Saturday over Israel's relentless attacks in Lebanon, calling them a violation of its deal with the United States to end the war.
Iran’s military command, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a statement that the closure was in response to “the explicit breach of the first clause of the post-war memorandum of understanding by the United States”.
It said the move was a response to the Israeli regime’s continuous and persistent violation of a ceasefire it has agreed to with the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The statement added that the Israeli attacks had led to “brutal killings and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of oppressed people” in southern Lebanon, adding that the regime had also failed to withdraw its forces from those territories.
The military command said that the closure was the first step in response to the breach of commitments under the MoU by the US and its allies, warning that Iran would adopt further measures to compel the enemy to fulfill its obligations.
The strait, an important conduit for oil and gas shipments, was shut by Iran for much of the war, sending shockwaves through global energy markets.
Iran agreed to reopen the waterway after Tehran and Washington signed an agreement on Wednesday to end the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran, which began in late February and was halted by a ceasefire in early April.
The 14-article MoU requires Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz provided that the US and its allies completely end their aggression against Iran and its regional allies, Lebanon in particular.
The Israeli regime not only did not stop the attacks on Lebanon but it has intensified its deadly strikes.
Earlier Saturday, Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement there. Seven people remained trapped under the rubble after the strikes hit the southern city of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon began in March after Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah launched military operations against the regime in response to the regime’s aggression against Iran. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, the death toll in the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah has surpassed 4,000.