Iran Shuts Strait of Hormuz After Israeli Strikes Kill 83 in Lebanon, Threatening US Peace Deal

The closure, announced Saturday via state broadcaster IRIB, is a direct response to what Tehran calls a “flagrant violation” of a preliminary 14-point memorandum of understanding signed this week between Washington and Tehran [177668]. Iran’s army said the United States did not uphold the first point of the agreement: guaranteeing a halt to Israeli operations in Lebanon [177668]. Israeli strikes there have killed more than 50 people since Friday, according to the Israeli military, which says it is responding to attacks by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah [177668].

Violence spiked sharply on Friday, one of the bloodiest days in weeks. At least 83 people were killed in Israeli strikes, including three children, and 141 were wounded in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanon’s Public Health Ministry [177668]. The escalation followed the deaths of four Israeli soldiers, including a senior officer, when a tank was hit by Hezbollah, which said the attack came after Israel broke an earlier ceasefire [177668]. Since the start of the Israeli offensive on March 2, 4,057 people have died and more than 12,000 have been wounded in Lebanon [177668].

The fighting now threatens the tentative agreement between the United States and Iran to end their broader war [177633]. The memorandum of understanding includes a ceasefire in Lebanon, under which Iran’s long-time ally Hezbollah would be protected from Israeli strikes in exchange for stopping its own attacks on Israel [177633]. The ongoing violence puts this fragile agreement at risk [177633].

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, traveled to Switzerland on Saturday to demand U.S. compliance with the preliminary deal [177668]. The first round of negotiations with Iran is set for Sunday [177668]. On the U.S. side, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are already in Switzerland for the talks, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News [177668]. Vance said he plans to join the negotiations in the coming days, alongside representatives from Pakistan and Qatar [177668].

The agreement, which was supposed to be signed in Switzerland, aimed to end over 100 days of armed conflict that threatened to ignite the Middle East and disrupt global energy markets [177670]. While the truce has prevented an immediate war, it leaves major questions unanswered, including Iran's nuclear future, the control of the Strait of Hormuz, and the region's economic stability [177670]. Experts warn that the agreement fails to clarify key points, including the status of Iran’s nuclear program, the scope of sanctions relief, the future of ballistic missiles, and Israel’s role in Lebanon [175822].

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has warned that Tehran will deliver a “crushing response” if the United States breaches their agreement or makes excessive demands [176224]. “We have no hesitation in delivering a crushing response to the enemy,” Ghalibaf stated [176224].

Vice President Vance has also delivered blunt warnings to Israeli leaders who oppose the deal, telling reporters that President Donald Trump is the only world leader who supports Israel and that Israeli officials criticizing the agreement should “wake up” [176286]. Vance said the deal does not favor Iran and that the U.S. destroyed Iran's nuclear program, including its enrichment facilities [176286]. However, U.S. intelligence estimates that Iran still has about 70% of its pre-war missile arsenal [176286].