JUST IN: Iran Reimposes Strait of Hormuz Blockade, Suspends Nuclear Talks With US

JUST IN: Iran Reimposes Strait of Hormuz Blockade, Suspends Nuclear Talks With US

Tehran announced a renewed closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz on June 19, accusing Washington of violating a newly signed ceasefire agreement as Israeli forces continue military operations in southern Lebanon, casting doubt over a fragile diplomatic breakthrough. In a statement broadcast through maritime radio channels, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that the waterway would remain shut until three key conditions are met: Israel’s complete withdrawal from Lebanon, the full lifting of the US naval blockade, and the withdrawal of American forces from the Persian Gulf and the region. The IRGC warned all commercial and private vessels to avoid the strait, stating that “any vessel that defies this directive will be targeted.” The dramatic escalation came just hours after the planned first round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations in Switzerland was cancelled, with hardline elements within Iran reportedly opposing participation until Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon. A regional source claimed that hardliners insisted on Israel’s complete withdrawal before any diplomatic engagement could proceed.

The reimposed blockade appears to stem from ambiguities in the 14-point Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed electronically on June 17 by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The agreement committed both sides to an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” while also requiring the US to “begin the removal of its naval blockade” immediately, with a full end within 30 days. This phased approach has allowed Iran to argue that the blockade has not yet been “completely” lifted. Simcha Brodsky, president of the open-source intelligence organization OSINT613, told the New York Post: “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 still in the middle of that process by design.” Brodsky added: “Iran has now linked the Israel-Lebanon conflict to that justification, effectively halting the agreement and drawing Israel into a deal it neither approved nor negotiated.” On June 18, the US Central Command had formally announced it had lifted the two-month blockade of Iranian ports. However, it remains unclear why the IRGC believes the lifting is not yet “complete.”

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Despite the ceasefire provisions in the US-Iran memorandum calling for an end to all hostilities in Lebanon, Israeli forces have continued military operations against Hezbollah. Lebanese authorities reported that nearly 50 people were killed and close to 100 wounded in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley on Friday. The southern towns of Harouf and Haboush suffered the highest death tolls, with nine and seven fatalities respectively, while at least two children were reported killed. Earlier reports from the Health Ministry’s Emergency Operations Center confirmed at least 24 deaths and 33 wounded from intensive strikes across 11 towns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israeli forces “will remain in southern Lebanon for as long as security requires,” directly contradicting the memorandum’s call for an immediate end to hostilities. The Israel Defense Forces have also published a new map showing an expanded zone of occupation, with troops deployed more than 6 miles across the Lebanese border, including areas north of the Litani River. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the latest strikes, saying they undermined efforts to consolidate the ceasefire and represented a “dangerous escalation.” Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement, provided that Israel fully complies with its terms.

US President Donald Trump responded to the developments by claiming the conflict had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “The War has diminished Iran! It doesn’t, any longer, have an Air Force, a Navy, Antiaircraft Equipment, Radar, or practically anything else.” Trump dismissed criticism from Democrats over his administration’s handling of the conflict, stating: “We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not ten cents!” He also described Iran’s signing of the memorandum as “unconditional surrender” in an interview with Axios.

Despite Iran’s announcement of a blockade, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz showed signs of recovery following the signing of the US-Iran agreement. Data from analytics firm AXS Marine showed 25 commercial vessel crossings on June 18—the highest single-day count since mid-April and more than five times the average recorded during the first ten days of June. Four supertankers alone carried at least 8 million barrels of crude oil through the strait, with shipments headed primarily to Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, India, and China. The French-flagged LNG tanker Mraikh transported 169,000 cubic meters of LNG from Qatar to Pakistan. However, traffic remains well below the pre-conflict level of about 120 daily crossings, and the US navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center advised vessels to avoid the Traffic Separation Scheme because of mine risks as clearance operations continue. Ship broker Braemar noted in a statement: “Risks range from the danger of mines… to that of getting stuck in the Mideast Gulf should tempers flare and Iran block Hormuz once again.”

JUST IN: Iran Reimposes Strait of Hormuz Blockade, Suspends Nuclear Talks With US