Iran’s central military command has officially declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all maritime traffic, citing US and Israeli violations of a memorandum of understating between Tehran and Washington.

In a formal statement on Saturday, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the closure comes in response to “the explicit breach of the first clause of the post-war memorandum of understanding by the United States” and “the Zionist regime’s continuous and ongoing violations of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon.” 

The statement on state television warned that “if the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned.”

The statement began with a Quranic verse explaining the need to fight anti-religion forces who break their promises.

It said the closure of Hormuz is also a response to the Israeli regime’s continuous and ongoing violation of a ceasefire it has agreed to with the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The statement added that the Israeli attacks have led to “brutal killings and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of oppressed people” in southern Lebanon, adding that the Israeli regime has also failed to withdraw its forces from those territories.

 The military command said that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is the first step in response to the breach of commitments under the MoU by the US and its allies, adding that Iran will adopt further measures to compel the enemy to fulfill its obligations.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Bagahei, Bagahei, however, signaled that little might happen until Iran feels the U.S. is living up to the deal.

“This trip is therefore about demanding that the other side fulfill its obligations,” he said, adding that negotiations toward a final agreement will begin only once key commitments, including an end to fighting in Lebanon, are upheld. “If any part of these understandings, any part of these commitments, is not implemented, then the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized,” Bagahei said.

Israeli attacks in Lebanon kill at least 16, In response Hezbollah Kills 4 Israeli Soldiers.

Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed at least 16 people, including two children, Seven people remained trapped under the rubble after the strikes hit the southern town of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.

Mediators were scrambling to halt the fighting between Israel and the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group, after a heavy exchange on Friday killed at least 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.

Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah parliamentarian in Lebanon, said his group had the right to respond to Israeli attacks.

“There is talk of a ceasefire. For us, what concerns us is that the enemy fully … doesn’t attempt to attack our country and villages or seek to occupy any new position,” he said in a statement.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has vowed to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until any threat to Israel is eliminated, which is a clear violation of Agreement terms, and In response Hezbollah has refused to halt its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon, which Iran says is also a condition of the deal.

Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment on the ceasefire efforts. On Friday, Netanyahu posted on X that, on his orders, the Israeli army had “struck powerfully” 150 Hezbollah targets, killing dozens of militants.

Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the Israeli forces were operating in a “forward defense zone” and would continue doing so.

Iranian and US officials cancel travel to Switzerland

After Iran said its officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting that the fighting in Lebanon must stop before the talks can take place, U.S. Vice President JD Vance also postponed his trip.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told the semi-official ISNA news agency on Saturday that Pakistan’s interior minister will arrive in Iran as part of continued negotiation efforts. Baghaei had said earlier that consultations through mediators were ongoing regarding the next phase of negotiations to draft a final U.S.-Iran agreement.

Because the initial deal was signed digitally earlier this week, the talks in Switzerland were not urgent, and plans were underway to hold a meeting in the coming days, he said.

The Swiss foreign ministry said diplomats were in talks on Saturday in the town of Bürgenstock on how to implement the U.S.-Iran deal, without offering details.

The Iran-US MoU, signed by presidents of the two countries early on Wednesday, was aimed at permanently ending the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran, which began in late February and was halted by a ceasefire in early April.

The 14-article MoU requires Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for global energy flows, provided that the US and its allies completely end their aggression against Iran and its regional allies.