Lebanon, Israel and the United States announced Friday in Washington that they had reached a trilateral framework agreement.
The framework agreement calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of southern Lebanon, an Israeli official said Friday.
According to the agreement, the Israeli forces will remain deployed in the "security zone" in southern Lebanon, until Hezbollah is disarmed.
The official said that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will maintain its freedom of military operation throughout the "security zone" to take action at any time to eliminate any potential security threats.
The official also noted that Israel and Lebanon agreed that Israeli forces will gradually withdraw from two areas outside the "security zone", and Lebanese army forces will move in.
Shortly after the signing of the trilateral framework agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded video statement Friday evening that the Israeli military will remain in the "security zone" in southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah does not disarm.
Lebanon, Israel, US reach trilateral framework agreement
Lebanon, Israel, US reach trilateral framework agreement
Lebanon, Israel, US reach trilateral framework agreement
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement on Monday that a super oil tanker, which was trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz via the "forbidden" route to the south of the strait, exploded after hitting naval mines.
Warnings about the dangers of this route had been issued previously, according to the statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News.
In the statement, the IRGC Navy said that the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked and remains under Iran's "smart control".
Following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran restricted passage through the strategic waterway, while U.S. forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.
Ship-tracking data showed that the daily number of vessels transiting through the strait dropped to single digits over the weekend, falling below the recent 10-day average of 14 vessels per day.
Four vessels, including a gas carrier, exited the strait over the weekend, while 10 cargo ships entered the waterway.
However, these figures do not include vessels that pass through the strait with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off.
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20 percent of the world's seaborne oil flows and significant shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertilizers.
Before the U.S.-Israeli strikes, around 125 large commercial vessels would pass through the strait every day, including oil tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers, and container ships.
Iran says oil tanker explodes after hitting naval mines in Hormuz, US denies Iran's claim
Iran says oil tanker explodes after hitting naval mines in Hormuz Strait
