Iran announced on Saturday that it was closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz once again, accusing Israel of violating the agreement with the United States to end the Middle East conflict through continued attacks in Lebanon.
The announcement came as Israeli troops clashed with Hezbollah fighters and Israeli warplanes carried out deadly airstrikes in southern Lebanon, only hours after the United States announced a renewed ceasefire between the two sides.
The continued hostilities have further strained the agreement signed this week by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to end the regional conflict, including fighting in Lebanon, a key condition set by Tehran.
Citing what it described as a US “breach of contract” and “the Zionist regime’s continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon”, Iran’s central military command announced “that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic”.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important routes for global oil and gas exports. Iran had blockaded the waterway for much of the conflict, disrupting global energy markets before agreeing to reopen it under the preliminary agreement with Washington.
Planned follow-up negotiations on the US-Iran agreement, scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday, were postponed indefinitely after Israel launched fresh strikes in Lebanon following the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in combat.
Although a US official announced a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on Friday, brokered by the United States and Qatar, fighting resumed within hours.
An Israeli military official said the army launched fresh attacks after Hezbollah allegedly “launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon” overnight.
Hezbollah said Israeli forces had attempted “under the cover of the ceasefire… an infiltration attempt towards the Ali Taher hills”, adding that its fighters “confronted them with appropriate weapons”.
Lebanese state media reported Israeli airstrikes on about 20 locations. The country’s civil defence agency said 16 people were killed in the Nabatieh area, while the health ministry reported seven more deaths and 13 injuries in a strike on a village near Sidon.
An AFP journalist on the Israeli side of the border reported seeing smoke rising behind Beaufort Castle, a strategic position captured by Israeli forces last month.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah defended the group’s actions, saying it “has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us”.
An Israeli military official told public broadcaster Kan that Israel would respond to attacks under the principle of “fire being answered with fire”.
Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, insisted Hezbollah had violated the ceasefire first.
“Israel is honouring the ceasefire while defending itself against terrorist attacks, as any self-respecting country would,” he said.
Fadi Zayat, who recently returned to his hometown of Tayr Debba in southern Lebanon, said residents remained fearful.
“We returned to the village a few days ago, but our bags are ready to flee again,” the 53-year-old said. “We’re waiting for a serious decision to end the war… in order to return to our lives.”
Hezbollah entered the wider regional conflict in early March after launching rockets at Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader during US-Israeli strikes.
A previous ceasefire announced in April failed to hold.
During a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory to stop.
According to the US State Department, Rubio emphasised the need for Lebanon to continue efforts to disarm Hezbollah and “re-establish control over all Lebanese territory”.
Meanwhile, negotiations between the United States and Iran aimed at securing a lasting settlement to the regional conflict remain on hold.
Vice President JD Vance postponed his planned trip to Switzerland, while US envoy Steve Witkoff travelled there to help revive the negotiations. Media reports also said Jared Kushner was expected to join the diplomatic effort.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran on Saturday for meetings with Iranian officials.
The Switzerland talks were expected to begin a two-month negotiation process focusing on unresolved issues, particularly Iran’s nuclear programme.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry said envoys “from various countries currently present are continuing their efforts to maintain the dialogue”, while Swiss broadcaster RTS reported that technical delegations from the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar remained engaged in discussions.