Iran halts Hormuz transit and warns of strikes after ceasefire violations in Lebanon

Iran has announced the halt of oil tanker transit through the Strait of Hormuz and warned of imminent retaliatory action following Israeli violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

According to reports by the semi-official Fars News Agency, an Iranian military source said Tehran is preparing to carry out retaliatory operations against Israeli military sites in the occupied territories.

The source stated that the move comes in response to the continued Israeli aggression against Lebanon and repeated violations of the temporary ceasefire with the Islamic Resistance.

Iranian officials indicated that there is a growing belief in Tehran that the ongoing Israeli attacks, despite ceasefire understandings, reflect either the inability of the United States to restrain Israel or that US Central Command has allowed it operational freedom.

Separately, the Tasnim News Agency, citing an informed source, reported that Iran may withdraw from the ceasefire agreement altogether if Israeli violations continue.

A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Tehran would “punish Israel” in response to what it described as violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

These developments follow a series of intensive Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday targeting Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon within a short time frame, resulting in hundreds of Lebanese casualties.

The escalation raises concerns over a broader regional confrontation, particularly given the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz for global energy supplies.

READ: Iran warns US must choose between ceasefire and war via Israel, ‘it cannot have both’