Iran said Saturday it is closing the Strait of Hormuz due to what it describes as Israel’s ceasefire violations in Lebanon and the United States’ failure to implement the first clause of the tentative agreement to end the war.
The US-Iran agreement signed on June 17 had promised that commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz would “immediately start.” At least 12 vessels crossed the waterway on Friday, data from Marine Traffic showed, and 25 commercial ships crossed through the strait on Thursday — the most since April, according to marine intelligence firm AXSMarine.
CNN is tracking the strait’s traffic volumes in live maps and charts.
Tehran effectively closed the strait during the conflict, so its reopening is a key part of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran and the ongoing negotiations for further steps toward peace. Before the war, around 20% of global oil production flowed through the waterway.
Under the MOU, the United States has until July 19 to fully lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports and Iran is expected to make its “best efforts” to restore traffic to pre-war levels over that same period.
Left unaddressed in the agreement is whether Iran will ultimately retain control over the strait. Ships will be able to travel toll-free for “60 days only” while Iran and its Gulf neighbors work out a new arrangement for the strait — meaning Iran could be allowed to impose fees.
