Tensions in the Middle East escalated on Wednesday after Iran closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a move that raised fresh doubts about the survival of a fragile ceasefire with the United States reached less than 24 hours earlier.
The decision followed renewed Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, attacks that triggered fresh hostilities across the region and reignited fears that weeks of fighting could spiral further.
Iranian state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency confirmed the closure, saying the action was taken “in the wake of Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.” The development has intensified uncertainty surrounding the ceasefire agreement earlier brokered with Washington.
Authorities in Tehran also tightened control over maritime movement through the narrow but vital oil shipping corridor. Vessels operating near the waterway were directed to obtain clearance from Sepah, a special operations unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, before attempting to pass.
A radio warning cited by The Wall Street Journal cautioned that any vessel crossing the strait without authorisation “will be destroyed.”
The closure came despite earlier signals from Iran that it could allow limited passage through the waterway during a proposed two-week ceasefire period. Iranian officials had indicated the reopening would occur with “coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.”
Officials in Washington had also suggested that U.S. forces could assist in coordinating maritime traffic during the truce, although the framework for such cooperation remains unclear.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would consider a “joint venture” with Iran that could see vessels pay tolls to pass through the strait.
While diplomatic efforts continued, fighting intensified elsewhere in the region. In Beirut, Israeli strikes hit residential and commercial areas without warning, leaving multiple casualties in what observers described as one of the deadliest days of the conflict so far.
Reports of possible ceasefire breaches soon surfaced. Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, who had helped mediate the agreement, said on X that violations had already been recorded, deepening concerns that the truce may quickly unravel.
