Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, citing US and Israeli breach of MoU
Iran announced that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the move is a response to Israel's continuous and ongoing violations of a ceasefire it had agreed to with the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The statement added that Israeli attacks have resulted in "killings and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people" in southern Lebanon, and that Israel has also failed to withdraw its forces from those territories.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is the first step in response to breaches of commitments under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by the United States and its allies. The IRGC added that Iran will take further measures to compel the U.S. and Israel to fulfill their obligations.
The Iran-U.S. MoU, signed by the presidents of the two countries early Wednesday, was aimed at permanently ending the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which began in late February and was halted by a ceasefire in early April.
The 14-article MoU requires Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz provided that the U.S. and its allies completely end their aggression against Iran and its regional allies.
The IRGC Navy also issued a stern warning to all ships transiting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, stating that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and cautioning that approaching vessels will face consequences. The statement warned all vessels to refrain from entering the strategic waterway, adding that the security of any vessel that defies the order would be in danger.
