IRGC says the vessel entered an unauthorized route and bars all ships until 'US interference' ends; efforts continue to salvage a US-Iran memorandum, but Israel sees no chance of a lasting deal and prepares for escalationEscalation between Iran and the United States is intensifying: The naval arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced overnight Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed until further notice and said no vessels would be allowed to pass through. The announcement came after the Guard said a ship attempting to travel along a route not approved by Tehran was stopped following a “warning shot.”According to a statement broadcast on Iranian television, the strait will remain closed “until American interference in the region ends.” The Revolutionary Guard warned that “if the enemy exploits the incident as a pretext and makes a wrong move, it will face a harsh response.”(Photo: AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, REUTERS/Stringer)Iran’s announcement comes as the United States is demanding that Tehran publicly commit to halting attacks on ships and allow free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz without requiring Iranian approval. The dispute over control of shipping lanes in the strait has become one of the main flashpoints in the crisis between the two countries in recent weeks.About one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and any prolonged disruption could send energy prices soaring and harm global trade.Behind the scenes, mediating countries are making a major effort to salvage the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, which now appears to be on the verge of collapse, and bring the sides back to the negotiating table. Oman is leading the effort, with Qatar and other countries in the region also involved.President Donald Trump said over the weekend that Washington had agreed to resume talks after Tehran asked to continue negotiations. At the same time, he stressed that, as far as he was concerned, the ceasefire reached last month had already ended.The memorandum of understanding signed by the United States and Iran last month was intended to halt the fighting and give the sides 60 days to reach a permanent agreement or extend the temporary arrangement. However, the most sensitive issues — including Iran’s nuclear program, its stockpile of enriched uranium, sanctions and control of passage through the Strait of Hormuz — remain unresolved.The crisis worsened over the past week after the United States accused Iran of attacking several tankers traveling through the strait, reinstated sanctions on Iranian oil sales and struck dozens of targets across Iran.U.S. Central Command said the strikes hit air defense systems, command-and-control networks, radar installations, anti-ship missile capabilities and more than 60 small Revolutionary Guard vessels.Iran responded by attacking U.S. targets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, and said Washington had violated the understandings.U.S. officials later said Iran had told Washington that the latest attacks on vessels in the strait were carried out by a “rogue element acting independently” within the Iranian system with the aim of sabotaging the memorandum of understanding. The New York Times reported that rogue units within the Revolutionary Guard were responsible.Meanwhile, Israel is closely monitoring the exchange of threats between Washington and Tehran amid a growing impression that Trump’s patience with the Iranians is running out.Israel continues to publicly support the U.S. president’s efforts to reach a diplomatic solution and prevent another regional conflict. However, Israeli officials assess that the chances of reaching a permanent agreement with Iran are zero, or close to it.The officials said Iran’s difficulty in complying even with the terms of the temporary memorandum of understanding demonstrated how difficult it would be to reach a long-term arrangement.Israeli officials believe the prospects of salvaging the negotiations depend primarily on decisions made in Tehran and on the extent of the Iranian political leadership’s control over Revolutionary Guard forces.At the same time, Israel is preparing for a range of escalation scenarios, including the possibility that the confrontation between the United States and Iran could spill over and involve Israel.The Americans have so far asked Israel to remain outside the confrontation and refrain from intervening. However, Israeli officials have not ruled out a scenario in which Washington later asks Israel to join an operation.The Israeli military and U.S. Central Command are maintaining close coordination, and Israel is receiving frequent updates on developments. The military is preparing both defensively and offensively, including by strengthening air defenses, maintaining operational readiness and continuing to prepare plans and a target bank in Iran.Israel’s defense establishment is also preparing for the possibility that Tehran could attack Israel in an attempt to draw it directly into the conflict or in response to developments in Lebanon.Israel is preparing a broad response in the event of an Iranian attack. However, the assessment is that any significant Israeli operation would be coordinated with the U.S. administration and would not be carried out against Washington’s wishes.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Trump on Thursday night, but the two have not yet set a date for a meeting. That is despite an earlier announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office that they had agreed to meet soon.The delay in setting a date is believed to be linked to the escalation between the United States and Iran, the demands on the U.S. administration and the question of whether a Netanyahu visit to Washington at this time would serve Trump’s interests.