Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over Israeli barrage in Lebanon |
Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over Israeli barrage in Lebanon
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday over the Israeli military’s barrage of attacks in Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah, Iranian state media reported.
Two tankers were able to pass through the strait, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply flows, according to MarineTraffic, a ship-tracking service.
The Greek-owned carrier NJ Earth and Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach were able to go through the strait, the first ships to transit through the passage since the temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was announced.
The closure of the strait comes as the Israel Defense Forces struck Lebanon on Wednesday, injuring hundreds of people, according to the country’s health ministry.
When asked about the report from Fars news agency, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the report is “false.”
“The President was made aware of those reports before I came to the podium, that is completely unacceptable and again, this is a case of what they’re saying publicly is different, privately,” Leavitt told reporters. “We have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today.”
President Trump announced a ceasefire deal with Iran, suspending the hostilities after he warned of authorizing a devastating attack against Tehran if the country does not open the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Iran–U.S. Ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the U.S. must choose—ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both,” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday on the social platform X.
“The world sees the massacres in Lebanon,” Araghchi said. “The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments.”
At least two U.S. Gulf allies have reported being targeted by Iran on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting nine Iranian drones.
Leavitt said that Lebanon is not part of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
Updated at 1:44 p.m. EDT
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