The semi-official Tasnim news agency, close to Iran's regime, stated Thursday evening that the Strait of Hormuz must stay closed until the 'Israeli invasion of Lebanon' ends and Lebanon's territorial integrity is guaranteed. The outlet argued that beginning final-round talks with the U.S. while the first clause of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding — ending all military operations — is violated contradicts the agreement.
The semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, which is close to the Islamic Republic's establishment, issued a detailed statement Thursday evening asserting that the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed until the IDF's military operations in Lebanon cease and Lebanon's territorial integrity is guaranteed. The agency framed its position through an interpretation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States.
Tasnim argued that beginning talks on the final agreement while Article 1 of the MoU — which states that war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, must end — remains unfulfilled constitutes a violation of the accord. Article 13 of the MoU, according to the report, conditions the start of final-round negotiations on the implementation of Articles 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11.
The statement represents a hardening of Iran's public posture at a moment when the IDF continues operations in southern Lebanon. As The Zioneer has previously reported, Iranian officials have repeatedly conditioned the broader US-Iran framework on the cessation of Israeli military activity in Lebanon, with Foreign Minister Araghchi setting a Friday deadline earlier this week for Israeli withdrawal. The Tasnim editorial goes further by explicitly linking the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global energy chokepoint — to the Lebanon front.
The agency also warned against trusting the U.S., describing Washington as a 'deceitful and cunning enemy,' and framed the MoU as a 'declaration of the failure of the U.S. and Israel' in the war that began on February 28, 2026. Tasnim's position is not an official government statement but carries weight as a regime-aligned outlet. No immediate U.S. or Israeli response to this specific statement has been reported.
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