Iran Declares Strait Of Hormuz ‘Closed’ In Shock Reversal

Iran abruptly re-closed the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, scrapping the momentum from a newly signed agreement with the United States and blowing up planned nuclear talks in Switzerland.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the move over maritime radio channels, accusing the U.S. of violating the memorandum of understanding signed Wednesday by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The regime cited Israel’s refusal to withdraw forces from southern Lebanon and the continued presence of American forces in the region.

“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,” it 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.”

The threat immediately raised fears of a fresh crisis in one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors.

U.S. Central Command said Thursday it had formally lifted its two-month blockade on Iranian ports, though it was not immediately clear what Tehran meant by claiming the embargo removal had not been “complete.”

Shortly after the IRGC announcement, a U.S. official said Israel and Hezbollah had reached a cease-fire agreement.

That claim came despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Thursday that Israel would continue targeting terrorists and maintaining a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

“We will restore security and prosperity to northern towns,” Netanyahu said. “That requires maintaining the security zone in southern Lebanon.”

The Israel Defense Forces also released a new map showing an expanded zone of occupation, with troops deployed more than 6 miles across the Lebanese border, including north of the Litani River.

The MOU signed Wednesday said the U.S. and Iran, “along with their allies,” would respect Lebanon’s territory and sovereignty and end all hostilities there.

Simcha Brodsky, president of the open-source intelligence organization OSINT613, told The Post that Iran is exploiting the wording of the agreement and the phased nature of the U.S. blockade removal.

“What we’re seeing is a direct result of the wording in the US-Iran MoU. The deal lifts the US blockade in phases (‘fully within 30 days’), so the US is mid-process by design,” he said. “Iran is using that gap: It says the strait stays closed until the blockade is ‘completely lifted,’ so it can claim the lift isn’t done and call this a re-closure.”

BREAKING:

Iran’s IRGC has closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/JvY0g6MyYP

— Current Report (@Currentreport1) June 19, 2026

“Iran has now bolted the Israel-Lebanon fighting onto that pretext to hard-stop the whole deal, roping Israel into an agreement it never approved or negotiated.”

The IRGC announcement came just hours after the first round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, scheduled for Friday under the MOU framework, was called off.

The U.S. has not given a reason for the postponement.

A regional source claimed Wednesday that some hardliners inside the Iranian regime were arguing against attending a since-canceled MOU signing ceremony until Israel removed its forces from southern Lebanon.

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Meanwhile, Iran’s newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority released fresh “terms and conditions” for vessels seeking to pass through the vital waterway.

The authority was recently created by Tehran to control the strait, and critics say it could be used to impose fees on international shipping.

While the MOU requires Iran not to demand payment from shipping firms for the next 60 days, the document says Tehran “reserves the right to introduce” new fees in the future.

The new rules also require ships to get a permit from the PGSA before passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

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That requirement did not exist before the war began Feb. 28, as the strait has long been considered international waters.

The reversal is a major test for Donald Trump’s Iran gamble.

The president has argued that hard power and dealmaking can force Tehran into a better agreement, but Iran’s latest move shows the regime is already trying to use loopholes, regional chaos and shipping threats to regain leverage.

For critics of Tehran, the message was obvious, the mullahs signed the deal, pocketed the pause and immediately found a pretext to threaten the world’s oil lanes again.

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