Iran said on Saturday it had shut the Strait of Hormuz again, a move that could disrupt a critical corridor for global crude shipments. The announcement tied the decision to what Tehran described as ceasefire breaches by the United States and Israel, along with ongoing Israeli military activity in Lebanon.
According to Iran’s state-run Mehr news agency, the order came from the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which it the country’s top joint military command. Mehr reported the command warned the closure was only a "first step," adding that further measures could follow if what Iran called aggression persists.
The move lands only days after a U.S.-backed arrangement aimed at easing months of fighting and allowing vessels to resume transiting the waterway. Tankers had started using the route again after that agreement, according to the report.
Messaging from Iranian institutions has been uneven as the situation developed. On Thursday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said the strait was being shut over alleged ceasefire violations, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry later said the passage remained open with commercial shipping continuing under Iranian oversight.
The renewed warning also comes amid reports of Israeli strikes in Lebanon despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Iranian military officials said those attacks amounted to a breach and cited them as justification for tightening maritime access.
