Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday after accusing the US and Israel of violating the newly-signed peace deal.
The top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said that the closure was the “first step” in response to what it described as breaches of commitments to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Donald Trump on Wednesday.
It came as state media in Lebanon reported 16 people had been killed in Israeli attacks. An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, and that Israel had attacked what it described as Hezbollah targets in response.
A ceasefire in Lebanon was one of the primary stipluations of the interim deal.
On Saturday, Tehran warned ships not to approach the waterway, a vital conduit for global oil and gas supplies.
But despite the Iran’s announcement, the US responded by denying the waterway had been closed.
US Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said: “Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.” More than 50 merchant ships went through the Strait on Saturday, the US Central Command said.
open image in galleryMeanwhile, US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner touched down in Switzerland for talks to negotiate a deal that would limit Iran’s capacity to build nuclear weapons. US vice president JD Vance is expected to join discussions over the coming days.
Mr Vance said: “I expect that I will leave sometime in the next couple of days, but you know it’s always a delicate coordination dance and the diplomatic protocols.”
Israeli strikes also killed five people including at least one child in Gaza, medics reported on Saturday as the death toll since a purported ceasefire surpassed 1,000 this week.
open image in galleryThe US president instructed Israel to accept the terms of last week’s peace deal on Friday and told NBC News: “You just gotta calm down sometimes and use your head”.
Over 4,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since 2 March.
While insisting he still has a “good” relationship with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed Israel would not exist without his support.
“Bibi Netanyahu worked well with me, but he will tell you, we’re the ones with the guns, we’re the ones with the whole deal, we’re the ones with the B-2 bombers, etc,” he told Axios on Friday. “If it weren’t for Donald Trump, Israel would have been eviscerated.”
Switzerland said it continued to provide a “discreet and reliable setting” at the mountain resort of Buergenstock to facilitate the peace discussions. Its foreign ministry said no further details would be disclosed about participants and the content of the talks.
The Iran war has killed at least 8,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon. It has pushed up energy prices, stoking inflation worldwide. Hezbollah has not disclosed its casualty figures.
The interim deal includes sanctions relief for Iran, the unfreezing of assets worth tens of billions of dollars and immediate U.S. waivers for its oil exports. It also envisages a $300 billion reconstruction fund and other incentives.