WASHINGTON — Iran re-closed the Strait of Hormuz Friday instead of heading to Switzerland for nuclear negotiations, citing Israel’s refusal to pull forces out of southern Lebanon and US forces’ ongoing presence in the region.
In a statement read over maritime radio channels, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the US was in violation of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, which President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed Wednesday.
“Since Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, the complete lifting of the naval blockade, and the withdrawal of American terrorist forces from the Persian Gulf and the region are among the main conditions of the agreement between Iran and the United States, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until these conditions are met,” it said. “All ships are requested, for the sake of their security and safety, not to approach the Strait of Hormuz. Any vessel that defies this directive will be targeted.”
2026.Iranian Presidency via ZUMA Press / SplashNews.com
US Central Command said Thursday it had formally lifted its two-month blockade on Iranian ports. It was not immediately clear what the IRGC meant by the embargo removal not being “complete.”
Shortly after the IRGC announcement, a US official claimed Israel and Hezbollah had reached a cease-fire agreement, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming Thursday that the Jewish state’s forces would continue hunting terrorists.
“We will restore security and prosperity to northern towns,” Netanyahu said. “That requires maintaining the security zone in southern Lebanon.”
The Israel Defense Forces also published a new map showing an expanded zone of occupation, deploying troops more than 6 miles across the Lebanese border, including north of the Litani River.
The MOU signed Wednesday promised the US and Iran, “along with their allies,” would respect Lebanon’s territory and sovereignty and end all hostilities there.
Simcha Brodsky, president of the open source intelligence organization OSINT613, told The Post Iran is taking advantage of the way the MOU was designed and the time it takes for the US to remove a blockade.
“What we’re seeing is a direct result of the wording in the US-Iran MoU. The deal lifts the US blockade in phases (‘fully within 30 days’), so the US is mid-process by design,” he said. “Iran is using that gap: it says the Strait stays closed until the blockade is ‘completely lifted,’ so it can claim the lift isn’t done and call this a re-closure.”
“Iran has now bolted the Israel-Lebanon fighting onto that pretext to hard-stop the whole deal., roping Israel into an agreement it never approved or negotiated.”
The IRGC announcement came hours after the first round of US-Iran nuclear talks achieved through the MOU and scheduled for Friday were called off.
The US has not given a reason for the postponement.
A regional source claimed Wednesday some hardliners in the Iranian regime were arguing against attending a since-canceled MOU signing ceremony set for Friday until Israel removed its troops from southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) — which Tehran recently formed so it could control the strait and, critics say, charge fees — released a set of new “terms and conditions” for ships passing through the vital waterway.
While the MOU requires Iran not to demand payment from shipping firms for the next 60 days, the document explicitly states Tehran “reserves the right to introduce” new fees in the future.
The document also requires all ships to get a permit from the PGSA to pass through the strait, which was not required before the war began Feb. 28, as the strait is considered international waters.
