Article by Viory
Strait Closure Announced
Commercial vessels and oil tankers are anchored in Bandar Abbas, following the announcement by Iran’s joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, of the renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz, in response to what it described as the ‘ongoing violations’ of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon.
“In light of the blatant bad faith of the United States and its flagrant violation of the first clause of the memorandum of understanding on ending hostilities, and in response to the ongoing violations by the Zionist entity of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon,” the statement by the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said.
The statement cited what Tehran described as the ‘brutal killing and forced displacement’ of thousands of Lebanese people, in addition to Israel’s failure to withdraw military personnel from southern Lebanon.
On Saturday, US Vice-President JD Vance claimed there was ‘no evidence’ that the critical maritime passageway had been closed.
New Shipping Measures
The statement by the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters came one day after Iran announced new measures for ships wishing to cross the strait.
The Iranian body ‘Hormuz Strait Administration Authority’ stated on Friday, confirming that it had issued operational guidelines for ships wishing to cross the Strait of Hormuz during the period specified in the ‘Islamabad Memorandum’.
It also confirmed that no fees would be imposed on ships during the sixty days specified in the memorandum of understanding, noting that the Iranian government “will fully bear the costs of security, safety, environmental services, and related Iranian insurance coverage.”
Agreement Under Scrutiny
US President Donald Trump signed the document on Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles during a dinner hosted by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the agreement in his country, before Shehbaz Sharif added Pakistan’s signature in Islamabad.
The 14-clause memorandum stipulates an immediate halt to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, but Israel confirmed that it is not part of the agreement and continued its attacks on southern Lebanon.
Iran also commits, under the agreement, to reopening trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz free of charge for 60 days. In return, Washington commits to immediately beginning the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports and completing the process within 30 days.
Article by Viory
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