Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz ‘closed’ after accusing the United States of violating ceasefire agreements, demanding ships seek permission and raising the prospect of future charges for using the vital waterway.
Iran demands permission for Strait transit
Iran announced that ships must apply for permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz, citing ‘the presence of mine-affected areas and the necessity of ensuring safe passage and preventing collisions.’ Requests must be submitted at least 48 hours before arrival. During a 60-day period, tariffs for security, safety, environmental services, and Iranian insurance will not be collected from shipowners but will be borne by the Iranian government, according to the statement.
US accuses Iran of violating ceasefire
Iran accused the US of breaching the ceasefire agreement, pointing to ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon, which were supposed to halt as part of the peace deal. The US-Iran deal, which ended a nearly four-month war, only guarantees safe, toll-free passage for 60 days pending a final settlement on Tehran’s nuclear plans. The uncertainty has left many ships confused about safe travel and proper procedures, said Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at the Baltic and International Maritime Council, speaking to CNN.
US Vice President: Waterways should be toll-free
US Vice President JD Vance said at a White House briefing Thursday that international waterways ‘should be free of tolls.’ He added, ‘The final negotiations can set the terms of what comes afterwards. I keep coming back to this fundamental structural point of this negotiation, which is that we have all the cards.’
Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire and nuclear talks
Meanwhile, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire after intensified fighting in Lebanon led to the cancellation of planned US-Iran talks in Switzerland on Friday. Israel, not part of the US-Iran deal, has vowed to continue attacking Hezbollah after the group targeted northern Israel. Ending Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted global oil and gas supplies and drove up fuel and food prices, had been a key demand in negotiations.
Obama criticizes Trump’s Iran policy
Former President Barack Obama said the US appeared ‘worse off’ now than before President Trump launched the war against Iran in February. He told NBC, ‘We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, put enormous strain on our military. A lot of people have died. And it feels like we’re back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse off.’ Obama noted that Iran had agreed not to develop nuclear weapons in the 2015 deal, which Trump scrapped in his first term, causing Iran to develop more nuclear capacity.
