The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Saturday morning that it closed the Strait of Hormuz over fighting in Lebanon, while Iran’s foreign ministry’s diplomatic team embarked for Switzerland for peace talks.
Fighting in Lebanon erupted on Saturday for the second day in a row, despite both sides agreeing to the ceasefire. After a day of threats, Iran’s joint military command announced on Saturday that the strait was closed due to the “bad faith” of the U.S. and “its clear breach of its commitments” by failing to end the war in Lebanon.
“If the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned,” it said.
A statement from the Guards’ navy shortly after confirmed the Strait of Hormuz was now closed.
“Due to the crimes of the Zionist regime in Lebanon, and the violation of the United States’s obligations in implementing the ceasefire, the Strait of Hormuz is closed to all ships,” the statement read, carried by several Guards-affiliated outlets.
“We confirm that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed, and ships should not approach it; otherwise, their safety will be at risk,” it added.
The development wasn’t announced by Iran’s foreign ministry, which instead said its delegation was traveling to Switzerland for peace talks with the U.S., after a day’s delay.
“In Switzerland, we intend to press for the fulfilment of the other side’s commitments and clarify how they plan to act on their obligations,” an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said, according to Fars news agency.
The foreign ministry and the Guards have been noted to have different interests throughout the conflict, sometimes contradicting each other.
ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH CONTINUE FIGHTING AFTER CEASEFIRE IN LEBANON
U.S. Central Command noted a large influx of ships through the strait on Saturday before the closure, saying 55 merchant ships went through, “moving large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets.”
The closure of the strait happened after ships had begun to cautiously navigate the sea lane, after months of being stranded in the Gulf. The sudden closure could have wider implications, as the newfound illustration of the peace deal’s fragility could spook shipping companies into choosing not to traverse the strait until a more definitive end to the fighting.
