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Iran announced on Saturday, June 20, the re-closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic, in response to the Israeli entity's continued bloody attacks in southern Lebanon, considering this a clear violation and a retreat by the United States of America from the signed joint framework understanding to end the war in the Middle East.
This escalatory step coincided with the Israeli warplanes carrying out violent raids on about 20 areas in Lebanon, which Tel Aviv claimed came in response to the deaths of its soldiers, while Hezbollah adhered to the right to confront and resist the occupation.
Tehran: Closing the Strait is a First Step
In an official statement, the headquarters of the "Khatam al-Anbiya" (the Central Operations Room of the Iranian Armed Forces) explained that the decision came as a result of Washington's reneging on its promises and non-implementation of the first clause of the agreement to end the war, stressing that the closure of the strait represents the first stage of the response to force the other side to abide by its commitments.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy confirmed to Fars News Agency that the Strait of Hormuz is now completely closed to all ships, warning against approaching the international waterway due to the serious risk of maritime security.
American Vigilance
US Central Command (CENTCOM) responded in a statement by declaring that a state of "vigilance" was maintained to ensure compliance with the terms of the agreement, noting that US forces continue to be present to ensure safe passage remains available and unhindered.
"Safe passage through the international waterway remained available and unhindered today," the statement continued.
He pointed out that the ships transported more than 17 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, pointing out that 55 commercial ships also crossed the Strait of Hormuz today.
The faltering diplomacy and the rescue of the agreement
Politically, an Iranian diplomatic delegation traveled to Switzerland to participate in emergency technical talks held on Sunday under the auspices of Pakistan and Qatar in the resort of Burgenstock, with the aim of redressing the situation and maintaining the cohesion of the memorandum of understanding, which the Iranian Foreign Ministry described as an "integrated package" based on the principle of mutual commitment.
US Vice President J.D. Vance revealed that President Donald Trump decided to give the negotiations a full chance by sending US envoys Steve Whitkoff and Jared Kushner to manage the talks, stressing that Washington's hand is still extended to Tehran on the condition that it changes its behavior in the region and de-escalates.
On June 18, 2026, US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Bezshakian signed a historic memorandum of understanding to end the war in the Middle East, which began following a US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28.
The memorandum, signed by Trump during his visit to France, included a pledge by Washington and Tehran to hold final negotiations within 60 days, including Tehran's renewal of its commitment not to develop nuclear weapons and to reduce uranium enrichment under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in exchange for withdrawing the military fuse on all fronts, including the Lebanese front.
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