Credit: Euronews
Iran’s central military command has officially declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all maritime traffic, citing US and Israeli violations of a memorandum of understating between Tehran and Washington.
In a formal statement on Saturday, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the closure comes in response to “the explicit breach of the first clause of the post-war memorandum of understanding by the United States” and “the Zionist regime's continuous and ongoing violations of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon,” The Caspian Post reports, citing Mehr news.
“In light of the United States' clear breach of its commitments regarding the first article of the memorandum of understanding on ending the war, and in response to the continuous and relentless violations of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon, which have resulted in the brutal killing and displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent people in that territory, as well as considering the failure of the occupying Zionist forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon, it is announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic,” Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters said in a statement on Saturday.
The headquarters emphasized that “this is the first step of response to the enemy's breach of trust”, warning that if the aggression continues, further measures will be planned and taken to compel the enemy to adhere to its commitments.
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the United States was signed in the first minutes of June 18, 2026, by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump through a simultaneous digital process without an in-person ceremony.
Iranian officials described the document as a political framework designed to end the imposed US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and create a pathway toward a comprehensive final agreement. The memorandum was finalized after weeks of negotiations and signed in both Persian and English.
The agreement’s first article provides for the immediate and permanent termination of military operations between Iran, the US, and their respective allies across all fronts, including Lebanon, and commits the parties to refrain from future military action or threats of force. The memorandum also stresses respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, while negotiations on a final agreement are scheduled to conclude within a maximum period of 60 days and are expected to culminate in a binding United Nations Security Council resolution.
The memorandum establishes a phased economic and maritime mechanism under which Washington undertook to begin lifting restrictions affecting Iran, including measures related to oil exports, banking transactions, insurance, transportation, access to frozen assets, and the removal of the naval blockade according to agreed timelines. In parallel, Iran committed to facilitating secure commercial navigation through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and to coordinating future maritime arrangements with Oman and other regional littoral states in accordance with international law.
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