Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over 'ceasefire violations' by US and Israel
Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz over "ceasefire violations" by the United States and Israel.
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Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed to vessel traffic, citing alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement by the US and Israel, Iran's Mehr state news agency reported.
It said that the closure was the "first step" in response to what it described as breaches of commitments and warned that further measures would be taken if "aggression" continued.
The announcement comes just hours after US President Donald Trump said ships were once again moving freely through the Strait of Hormuz after the US reached an agreement with Iran.
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Speaking at Andrews Air Force Base, Mr Trump hailed the reopening of the vital shipping route as a major win.
"Our country's doing so well those ships are flowing out of the Hormuz Strait as nobody has ever seen before.
"There were a lot of them, about 700, and they're pouring out the oil is all over the place. I hope the companies are happy about it. But we have a lot of victories."
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are both heading to Switzerland for talks this weekend, as a ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to revive efforts to turn an interim Iran war pact into a lasting regional deal.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 16 people on Saturday, hours after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect, with Israel saying it was responding to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group.
Lebanon's state news agency NNA said Israeli warplanes and drones hit multiple locations in the south and the Bekaa Valley.
An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting strikes on what the official said were "Hezbollah targets".
That followed a 14-point memorandum that the two sides signed this week to halt fighting and open a 60-day window to resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear program, as well as other thorny issues needed to forge a more durable deal.
US Vice President JD Vance cancelled plans on Thursday to travel to Switzerland for the talks, however, amid rising tension in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran.
With the ceasefire in place, Mr Witkoff is heading to Switzerland to join Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who is already there. Araghchi plans to travel there on Saturday.
The development may signal that both sides intend to begin technical negotiations aimed at securing a permanent truce.