Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz

Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz again, according to its joint military command, in response to continued Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and what Tehran considers a violation of its agreement with the United States. The move comes three days after the strait was reopened as part of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.

At the same time, an Iranian delegation is traveling to Switzerland for technical talks with U. S. officials, although Tehran anticipates little progress. The Strait of Hormuz is a shipping channel through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes. Meanwhile, a senior U. S. defense official said the U. S.

military is not seeing any Iranian military movements that reflect an effective closure of the strait. Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, amid a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah.