The status of the Strait of Hormuz was unclear on Saturday, as Iran’s military said it had again closed the critical waterway to maritime traffic and the US military said ships were still transiting through it, leaving a key element of the preliminary US-Iran peace deal in limbo.
Iran’s military said that the strait had been closed, citing what it called a “clear breach” of US commitments to implement a preliminary deal to end the war, according to a statement carried by state media.
The Iranian military, in its announcement, accused the US of violating its commitments in the deal by failing to contain hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, who exchanged fire again on Saturday. But Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US Central Command, later said: “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz.”
Tim Hawkins added: “Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”
The deal between the US and Iran stipulated an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. The announcement on the strait came as delayed talks between the US and Iran appeared ready to restart. Pakistan, which has served as an intermediary in negotiations to end the war, said in a statement that “technical talks” between Washington and Tehran would begin on Sunday in Switzerland.
Vice-President J.D. Vance told Fox News earlier on Saturday that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who serve as envoys for President Trump, were in Switzerland and ready to negotiate, and a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said that an Iranian delegation was on its way.
There had been an uptick in the number of ships passing through the waterway in recent days, after the deal between the US and Iran was announced.
Three Indian-flagged crude oil tankers carrying over 8.6 lakh million tonnes of cargo with 94 crew members from the country transited through the strait on Saturday and are en route to India, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said. The three crude oil tankers — Desh Vaibhav, Desh Vibhor, and Sanmar Herald — are expected to arrive in India between June 24 and July 1.
The truce, agreed to on Friday afternoon, had appeared to largely hold, but early on Saturday, Lebanese state media reported Israeli airstrikes on towns and cities in southern Lebanon. AP reported that at least 16 people had been killed in the strikes on Saturday.
In a statement on Saturday, Hezbollah said that it was adhering to the ceasefire, but accused Israel of attempting to advance overnight toward Ali al-Taher, a strategic ridge overlooking the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon, and said its fighters had ambushed an Israeli infantry force.
New York Times News Service