Iran Shuts Strait of Hormuz Hours After Trump-Brokered Ceasefire
Iranian state media reported Wednesday that Tehran has halted oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, citing Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon as a violation of the fresh US-brokered ceasefire.
The move came just hours after President Trump announced a two-week pause in hostilities between the United States and Iran. The deal required Iran to reopen the critical waterway, which carries about 20 percent of global oil trade, in exchange for a halt in US and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets.
Trump made clear the ceasefire depended on the “complete, immediate, and safe opening” of the strait. Early reports indicated a couple of tankers had passed with Iranian permission before traffic was suspended again.
Israeli officials have stated the agreement with Iran does not cover its ongoing campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where fresh heavy strikes were launched. Iran, which backs the group, views those actions as a breach and has warned it may abandon the truce entirely.
The development tests the durability of the short-term deal, which both sides initially framed as a step toward negotiations. Global markets had reacted positively to the announcement, but uncertainty over the strait now looms large.
President Trump is monitoring the situation closely as the fragile pause faces its first major challenge.