Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz After Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Lebanon
Iran has shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil, in response to ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon that have killed more than 50 people since Friday.
Iran’s military announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, citing Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon and accusing the United States of failing to stop them [178166][178201][177668]. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned ships to avoid the strait, calling the attacks “Israeli crimes” and a violation of a preliminary peace agreement signed between Washington and Tehran this week [177668][178201].
The closure threatens to disrupt global oil supplies and has rattled energy markets. The United States says the strait remains open for navigation, with U.S. Central Command reporting that 55 merchant ships and 17 million barrels of oil passed through it on Saturday [177668][178293]. However, Tehran insists the passage is closed until its conditions are met.
The move comes as Iranian negotiators travel to Switzerland for talks with the United States on an interim nuclear deal [178166][178293]. U.S. Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Switzerland for the negotiations, alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner [178293][177668]. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also heading to Switzerland to demand U.S. compliance with the preliminary agreement, which required a halt to Israeli operations in Lebanon [177668].
Despite a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. on Friday, Israel launched numerous attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon overnight, killing at least 16 people, including a Lebanese soldier [177668]. On Friday, one of the bloodiest days in weeks, at least 83 people were killed in Israeli strikes, including three children [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].
Iran warned that little progress in the talks is likely unless the fighting stops [177970]. The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is now under severe strain, with Israel showing no intention of withdrawing from southern Lebanon [178146].