Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over ceasefire violations

ZURICH/DUBAI/WASHINGTON – Iran’s top joint military command, ​Khatam al-Anbiya Central ‌Headquarters, said on June 20 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.

Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people in Lebanon on June 20, hours after a truce took effect, with Israel saying it was reacting to attacks from Hezbollah and the Iran-backed group saying it would not allow Israel “freedom of movement” in Lebanon.

A halt to the fighting in Lebanon is a condition for starting 60 days of US-Iranian talks to resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme and other thorny issues key to forging a more durable deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and stabilise global oil supplies.

It was not clear when those talks might get under way.

The June 17 interim US-Iran deal requires both countries and their allies to stop military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

But Israel, left out of the talks, says it is not party to the deal, and will keep its forces in the Lebanese territory that it occupies.

A US official had said the truce took effect at 9pm (Singapore time) on June 19, and Israeli and Hezbollah sources confirmed the agreement to Reuters.

Lebanon’s state news agency NNA said Israeli warplanes and drones had on June 20 struck locations across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, both strongholds of Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s Civil Defence service said 16 people were killed in the raids.

An Israeli military official said Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, and that Israel had attacked what it described as Hezbollah targets in response.

A military statement added that Israel was committed to the ceasefire and would continue to act against any threat to the country or its forces.

A Hezbollah statement said its fighters had confronted Israeli forces trying to infiltrate the Ali al-Taher hill area in southern Lebanon overnight, and had inflicted casualties. 

A senior Hezbollah official told Reuters the group would not allow Israeli forces freedom of movement in Lebanese territory.

The Hezbollah statement said the group remained committed to the ceasefire but would respond to any attempt by Israel to seize territory or expand its occupation.

Lebanon was sucked into the regional war when Hezbollah attacked Israel after the latter and its ally, the United States, began their war on Iran, and Israel responded with an offensive against Hezbollah that included invading south Lebanon.

One of the deadliest Israeli strikes on June 20 hit a three-storey residential building in the town of Barish in the Tyre district, killing a father, a mother and their two children, a town official said.

The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike had also killed a soldier on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road.

Israel’s Arabic-language military spokesperson said calm and stability could be achieved if Hezbollah ceased what she described as hostile activities and violations of agreements.

She said Israel’s presence in Lebanon was intended to remove threats and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, not to harm Lebanese civilians.

Lebanon’s health ministry says 3,912 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, including medics, women and children.

Israel says at least 32 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed in the conflict with Hezbollah.

Prospect of Iran-US talks unclear

As the fighting continued, it was unclear if any substantive talks would get under way soon between the US and Iran to turn this week’s interim 14-point pact into a lasting deal to end the war that the US and Israel launched on Feb 28.

Switzerland said it continued to provide a “discreet and reliable setting” at the mountaintop resort of Buergenstock to facilitate discussions.

Its foreign ministry said no further details would be disclosed about participants and the talks’ content, citing confidentiality.

US Vice-President J.D. Vance had this week cancelled plans to head to Switzerland for talks with Iran as tension between Israel and Hezbollah rose.

On June 19, Swiss authorities met officials from Qatar, which has also been supporting the negotiations, at Buergenstock.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, whose country has been mediating in the conflict, was in Tehran for talks with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.

The Iran war has killed at least 8,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon. It has pushed up energy prices, stoking inflation worldwide.

Hezbollah has not disclosed its casualty figures.

The interim deal foresees relief for Iran from economic sanctions, the unfreezing of assets worth tens of billions of dollars and immediate US waivers for its exports of oil.

It also provides for a US$300 billion (S$387.69 billion) reconstruction fund for Iran and other financial incentives.

Trump again defended the deal after criticism in Washington, including some from Republican allies in Congress who question whether he conceded too much to end a war unpopular with most Americans ahead of midterm elections in November.

“The War has diminished Iran!” Trump wrote on social media on June 19, adding, “We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not 10 cents!” REUTERS