The Hindu is reporting that Iran's military announced Saturday it had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz. It cited "violations" of the first clause of a recently signed memorandum of understanding with the United States, occurring as Israeli strikes on Lebanon continued.
Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters stated the closure was due to the United States' "clear breach of its commitments on ending the war," and "continuous and relentless violations of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon," along with the failure of "occupying Zionist forces" to withdraw from southern Lebanon. The announcement came despite Pakistan, which mediated the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, stating that "technical talks" were set to resume Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland. Iran had delayed these talks from Friday, citing Israeli bombing in Lebanon.
The memorandum of understanding, reached June 15 between the U.S. and Iran, stipulated a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon. Following its signing, Iran had eased restrictions on the strait, and U.S. President Donald Trump had declared the critical waterway fully open.
Suresh Nambath, Editor of The Hindu, emphasized that the renewed closure exposed the fragility of the U.S.-Iran peace process, posing a risk to global shipping and the oil and gas trade vital to Indian economic interests. The Hindu noted that three Indian-flagged tankers, carrying 8.6 lakh metric tons of crude oil, transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. However, the ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, coupled with Iran's renewed awareness of its leverage over the waterway, mean India's energy security remains under threat. The Iranian military command warned that the closure is the "first step of response to the enemy's breach of trust" and threatened "further measures" if Israel continues attacks on Lebanon.