Iran announced on Saturday that it was once again closing the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, citing Israel’s ongoing attacks in Lebanon as a violation of its recent agreement with the United States to end hostilities in the Middle East.
The move comes as Israeli forces clashed with Hezbollah fighters and launched deadly airstrikes in southern Lebanon, just hours after the United States announced a renewed ceasefire in the region.
The continued violence has put significant strain on the ceasefire agreement reached earlier this week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which aimed to halt the broader regional conflict, including in Lebanon—a key demand of Tehran.
Iran’s central military command said Saturday that, due to a U.S. breach of contract and what it called Israel’s persistent violations of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz would be closed to all vessel traffic.
The strait, a vital corridor for global oil and gas shipments, had previously been blockaded by Iran for much of the conflict, disrupting energy markets worldwide. Under the preliminary deal with the U.S., Iran had agreed to reopen the waterway, and shipping had just begun to resume in recent days.
Follow-up negotiations on the U.S.-Iran agreement, scheduled to take place Friday in Switzerland, were postponed indefinitely after Israel launched a new wave of strikes in Lebanon in response to the deaths of four Israeli soldiers.
On Friday afternoon, a U.S. official announced a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, brokered by American and Qatari mediators. Israel’s ambassador to Washington stated that Israel would honor the truce as long as Hezbollah did.
However, by Saturday, an Israeli military official reported renewed attacks against Hezbollah—accusing the group of firing more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight. Hezbollah claimed that Israeli forces had attempted an incursion near the Ali Taher Hills, overlooking the city of Nabatieh, and said its fighters responded with appropriate force.
Lebanese state media reported Israeli airstrikes on roughly 20 locations, with the civil defense agency saying 16 people were killed in the Nabatieh area. An AFP photographer saw smoke rising over the city after the strikes. Lebanon’s health ministry reported an additional seven deaths and 13 injuries in an attack on a village near Sidon.
On the Israeli side of the border, smoke could be seen billowing behind the historic Beaufort Castle, not far from Nabatieh, which Israel had captured last month.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah asserted Saturday that his group has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us. An Israeli military official told broadcaster Kan that Israel’s approach to the truce was fire will be answered with fire.
Israel’s U.S. ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, insisted that Hezbollah was responsible for breaking the ceasefire, adding, Israel is honoring the ceasefire while defending itself against terrorist attacks, as any self-respecting country would.
Fadi Zayat, a resident who fled the southern Lebanese town of Tayr Debba, described the prevailing mood: Fear dominates over everyone. We returned to the village a few days ago, but our bags are ready to flee again. We’re waiting for a serious decision to end the war so we can return to our lives.
Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East conflict in early March, firing rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. A prior ceasefire scheduled for April was never implemented.
During a call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun emphasized “the need for Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory to cease, according to his office. Rubio, for his part, stressed the importance of Lebanon moving to disarm Hezbollah and “re-establish control over all Lebanese territory.
Talks in Switzerland Delayed
Israel and Lebanon, which lack official diplomatic ties, have held several rounds of direct U.S.-mediated talks in Washington, with another meeting planned for next week, according to Secretary Rubio. Meanwhile, U.S.-Iran talks scheduled for Switzerland to work toward a lasting Middle East settlement were postponed Friday, with no new date announced.
Vice President JD Vance had been expected to lead the American delegation but delayed his trip; instead, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Switzerland to try to resume negotiations, with fellow Trump emissary Jared Kushner also expected. In parallel, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran on Saturday for meetings with officials, according to Iranian media.
The Swiss talks were intended to launch a two-month process to address unresolved issues, particularly Iran’s nuclear program. Switzerland’s foreign ministry said envoys from various countries remained engaged to maintain dialogue, without providing further details. Swiss broadcaster RTS reported that technical delegations from the U.S., Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar were present for the discussions.
