Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency published an open letter addressed to Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaie, demanding he act to shut the Strait of Hormuz. The outlet argues that because Israel has not withdrawn from Lebanon and the US has not enforced that clause of the understanding, Iran should not fulfill its commitment to reopen the strait. Tasnim frames the ceasefire as one-sided and warns that keeping the strait open weakens Iran's leverage.
Tasnim, Iran's semi-official news agency, published an open letter on Friday afternoon addressed to Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaie, pressing him to close the Strait of Hormuz. The letter argues that Israel has not withdrawn from southern Lebanon, that the US has not enforced the relevant clause in the recently signed memorandum of understanding with Iran, and that therefore Tehran is no longer obligated to keep the strait open. In the letter, Tasnim frames the current ceasefire as one-sided — adhered to only by Iran — while Israel continues what it calls 'crimes and cruelty' and has announced it will not halt its attacks.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Friday, Tasnim had already warned that continued Israeli presence in Lebanon would 'kill' the US-Iran understanding. The agency's latest intervention escalates the pressure on the foreign ministry by explicitly calling for action rather than mere denial. Baghaie had denied earlier this week that a closure was underway, and Foreign Minister Araghchi has publicly linked the reopening of Hormuz to a full IDF withdrawal from Lebanon and a broader US regional exit.
The open letter reflects a widening gap between the Iranian government's declared policy of keeping Hormuz open while negotiations proceed, and the hardline domestic camp that views any unilateral Israeli or American deviation from the MoU as grounds for immediate retaliation. The question now is whether the Tasmin campaign reflects official back-channel signals or a bid to box the government in.
2 developments
- DevelopingIranian daily splashes 'Close the Strait of Hormuz — Because of Lebanon' on front page
- StrongIranian negotiator: Strait of Hormuz will not reopen unless Israel restrained in Lebanon
- StrongIran threatens indefinite Hormuz closure, blocks IAEA inspections as Israeli officials warn of shifting U.S. support
- DevelopingIsraeli analyst: Response to Iran's Hormuz closure should be continued ops in Lebanon
Source and signal
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