Iran on Friday denied reports that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed, saying commercial shipping through the key waterway is continuing under a ceasefire memorandum signed with the United States on June 18.
According to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei called the claims “baseless" and said they were inaccurate.
Dismissing reports that the Strait had been closed, Baghaei said that following the signing of the MoU, Tehran had taken necessary measures to ensure safe passage. He added that shipping through the waterway was “currently operating normally".
The clarification from the foreign ministry comes amid reports claiming that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had ordered the Strait of Hormuz to be closed again, and that it had accused the US of violating the memorandum of understanding between the two sides aimed at ending the war.
The MoU, signed electronically this week by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, is intended to end the war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
It also provides for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the launch of a 60-day negotiation period on broader issues, including Tehran’s nuclear programme. The agreement was also meant to halt fighting in Lebanon, but clashes have escalated between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
Earlier, Iran’s maritime authority said that all ships seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz must submit transit requests at least 48 hours in advance, despite the reopening under the US–Iran agreement.
“To avoid delays at the entrance or exit of the Strait of Hormuz, it is essential that transit requests, complete with all the required information, are submitted at least 48 hours prior to arriving at the strait area," the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said on X.
Source: ANI
