The Strait of Hormuz has been fully closed, with oil tankers turning back amid mounting regional tensions following continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Iran’s Fars News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The move comes as Tehran responds to US-backed Israeli violations of a ceasefire framework that explicitly included Lebanon, warning that any truce that excludes ongoing aggression against its allies is effectively meaningless.

According to the report, maritime tracking data showed unusual movement by a tanker identified as AUROURA, which had been heading toward the exit of the strait. Near the coast of the Musandam Peninsula, around Khasab, the vessel abruptly altered course, executing a 180-degree turn before returning toward deeper waters inside the Gulf.

Hormuz control tightens

Fars said the maneuver took place at a particularly sensitive stretch of the waterway, located between Larak Island and the Musandam Peninsula, an area known for dense maritime traffic and its geopolitical importance as a global energy chokepoint.

Iranian media and naval sources indicated that tanker traffic through the strait has been halted following the Israeli escalation, adding that only Iranian vessels are currently permitted to pass. “We have closed the Strait of Hormuz, and currently, only Iranian ships and vessels coming from Iran are passing through,” a naval source said, noting that “only two oil tankers were able to benefit from the ceasefire and pass through the Strait of Hormuz before Israel violated the agreement.”

Additional reports from Tasnim News Agency indicated that large numbers of vessels remain stranded in the waterway, awaiting clearance. The agency added that passage through the strait will not be possible, even during the ceasefire period, without authorization from the Iranian armed forces, reinforcing Tehran’s direct control over maritime movement in the strategic corridor.

All-fronts ceasefire

The closure follows a series of warnings from Iranian officials linking maritime security in the Gulf directly to developments in Lebanon. Ibrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran’s parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said in a post on X: “In response to the brutal Israeli aggression on Lebanon, the movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz must be immediately stopped, and a strong, decisive strike must be launched to prevent further attacks by the Israeli entity.”

He stressed that Tehran rejects any separation of fronts, stating, “Either there is a ceasefire on all fronts, or there is no ceasefire on any front,” while affirming that Lebanon cannot be excluded from any agreement.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed this position, saying the terms of the ceasefire are “clear and explicit” and that Washington must choose between enforcing the agreement or allowing continued war through "Israel". “The United States cannot have both,” he said, adding that “the ball is in the US court.”

Similarly, Iran’s envoy to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahraini, warned that continued Israeli attacks would lead to “severe consequences", while stressing that Tehran would approach negotiations with Washington cautiously due to a “deep lack of trust,” even as it remains on full military alert.

Escalation warning issued

Further signaling escalation, sources cited by Tasnim News Agency said Iran is studying the possibility of withdrawing from the ceasefire altogether if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue, warning that Iranian armed forces are already identifying targets for a potential response. “If the United States is unable to restrain its rabid dog in the region, Iran will assist it in this matter, exceptionally, through force,” a source said.

In parallel, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps warned that continued aggression would trigger a forceful response, with Brigadier General Majid Mousavi stating, “Any attack on the proud Hezbollah is an attack on Iran,” adding that the battlefield is preparing for a “crushing response.”

Tehran has also tied broader negotiations to a comprehensive halt in hostilities, with its proposed framework requiring an end to all US and Israeli military operations across the region, including in Lebanon, as a precondition for any lasting settlement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, stated that the two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon, a position that Iranian officials say constitutes a direct violation of the agreement and undermines efforts toward de-escalation.

Iranian officials maintain that the unfolding situation reflects the consequences of continued US-Israeli aggression, warning that regional stability remains contingent on an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire that includes Lebanon.

Source:Websites