Iran says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again, citing a continued presence of United States forces in the region and Israel’s refusal to pull forces out of southern Lebanon.
According to a New York Post report,
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the decision in a
statement read over maritime radio channels on Friday.
The IRGC said the US was in violation of the memorandum
of understanding between Washington and Tehran, which President Donald
Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed Wednesday.
“Since Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, the complete
lifting of the naval blockade, and the withdrawal of American terrorist forces
from the Persian Gulf and the region are among the main conditions of the
agreement between Iran and the United States, the Strait of Hormuz will remain
closed until these conditions are met,” the IRGC said.
“All ships are requested, for the sake of their security and
safety, not to approach the Strait of Hormuz. Any vessel that defies this
directive will be targeted.”
In a separate statement, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news
agency said until Israel halts its actions and fully withdraws from Lebanon,
the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed, and all future negotiations must be
canceled.
“The continuation of Israeli crimes and the occupation of
Lebanese land signify the death of the agreement, and this must not be
tolerated or overlooked,” the Tasnim statement reads.
Earlier, Switzerland announced that planned talks following
up on the deal to end the Middle East war had been postponed.
The signing of the accord this week was intended to end the
conflict in Iran, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin a 60-day period for
talks on wider issues, including Tehran’s nuclear programme.
At the same time, the deal was to halt the fighting in
Lebanon, but Israel’s military announced on Friday new strikes against
Hezbollah targets in the nation’s south.
Under the new agreement, Iran would also receive a
reconstruction package worth $300 billion from the US.
‘IRAN IS DIMINISHED’
Meanwhile, in a Truth Social post Trump said the war
diminished Iran.
He said the US did not meet Iran out of desperation,
insisting that Tehran was “finished” in the ongoing standoff between both
countries.
Trump added that Washington would allow the 60-day
negotiation period to run its course and ruled out any financial concessions to
Iran, saying the US would not provide “ten cents” in funding.
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