Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced early Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed until further notice, after striking a vessel that attempted to transit the strategic waterway through an unapproved route.

In a statement, the IRGC Navy said several vessels had attempted to deviate from approved shipping lanes, ignoring repeated warnings to adjust course, adding that one vessel was struck by a cruise missile and forced to halt.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in an advisory issued on the same day that a container ship caught fire after sustaining damage in an incident off the coast of Oman late Saturday.

UKMTO said it received a report from military authorities that the incident involved a container ship located nine nautical miles (16.7 kilometers) east of Oman.

According to the report, the vessel sustained damage to its rear and experienced a fire onboard.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions following a recent exchange of attacks between the United States and Iran, triggered by alleged Iranian strikes on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz that lies between Iran and Oman.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced early Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed until further notice, after striking a vessel that attempted to transit the strategic waterway through an unapproved route.

The closure will remain in place until the end of U.S. interference in the region, and no vessels will be permitted to pass through the waterway until further notice, according to the IRGC statement.

The IRGC Navy warned that any retaliatory action or further aggression against Iran would be met with a severe response.

The statement explicitly held the United States, Israel, and nations hosting U.S. military bases responsible for all consequences stemming from any escalation.

The latest development comes amid the ongoing confrontation over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint through which approximately one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil exports normally transit.

It followed a meeting between the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman on Saturday to discuss the strait that lies between the two countries, after days of alleged Iranian attacks on ships and U.S. retaliatory strikes that has strained the memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at ending the war.

The United States recently revoked a license authorizing Iranian oil exports, accusing Iran of jeopardizing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice

Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice

Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice

Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice

Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice

A U.S. military delegation arrived in Lebanon on Saturday and began talks with the Lebanese military on formulating mechanisms for a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from two areas within the "security zone" in southern Lebanon, according to a Lebanese military source.

The source said the talks were aimed at activating the first pilot zone within the broader "security zone." Israeli forces would withdraw from this area to allow Lebanese troops to deploy there. The first zone is set to be activated within days, with planning for additional zones also advancing.

Lebanon has told the U.S. side it will skip the next round of Lebanon-Israel talks in Rome until Israel completes the agreed withdrawal, according to earlier reports.

Israel, the U.S. and Lebanon wrapped up four days of ceasefire and withdrawal talks in Washington D.C. on June 26 and announced a trilateral framework agreement, which includes a pilot program for Israeli forces to pull out of two areas on both sides of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army to deploy to these areas under U.S. escort.

U.S., Lebanon discuss Israeli withdrawal from "security zone"