In a major escalation in West Asia, Iran on Wednesday announced the closure of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, halting tanker movement through one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints.
The move came less than 24 hours after US President Donald Trump declared a two-week ceasefire with Tehran. According to Iran’s state-run Fars News Agency, the decision was triggered by what it described as ceasefire violations by Israel, which reportedly carried out around 100 airstrikes on Lebanon targeting Hezbollah positions. The strikes are said to have caused over 250 deaths.
Iran stated that tanker traffic through Hormuz would come to a “complete stop.” Notably, two vessels were briefly allowed to pass before Tehran reversed its decision and enforced the closure fully.
The White House has urged Iran to immediately reopen the waterway, calling the move a serious threat to global energy supply chains. Meanwhile, Israel has maintained that Lebanon is not covered under the ceasefire agreement — a claim strongly rejected by Iran, which insists that any truce must apply across all fronts, including Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups.
A senior Iranian lawmaker, Ebrahim Rezaei, justified the decision, citing what he called “savage Zionist aggression” against Lebanon and demanding unified ceasefire conditions.
He wrote on X, “In response to the savage Zionist aggression against Lebanon, the passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz must be halted right now… The Lebanese sacrificed their lives for us and we must not leave them alone for a moment. Ceasefire either on all fronts or on no fronts.”
He further added, “In response to the savage Zionist aggression against Lebanon, the passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz must be halted right now, and with a heavy and decisive strike, we must prevent the rabid dogs and the cancerous tumor of the region from their sabotage. The Lebanese sacrificed their lives for us, and we must not leave them alone for a moment. Ceasefire either on all fronts or on no fronts.”
Earlier, Trump had stated that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a key condition of the ceasefire. However, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council countered that Washington had, in principle, acknowledged Tehran’s continued control over the crucial waterway.
The situation now raises serious concerns over global oil supply disruptions and the fragility of the ceasefire agreement in an already volatile region.
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