Tehran says strategic waterway remains under its control as Trump threatens greater US pressure; Lebanon condemns Israel after deadliest strikes since June truce
By Haris S. Qureshi
TEHRAN/BEIRUT — Iran insisted on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz remained under its control and said its blockade would continue until Washington met Tehran's conditions, as tensions across the Middle East intensified following fresh attacks on Gulf shipping and Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 11 people in southern Lebanon.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion that Washington controlled the strategically vital waterway, saying American claims could not change conditions on the ground.
Tehran's latest comments came after Trump threatened to declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory and Washington warned it could increase economic pressure on Iran.
The confrontation has become a central front in the months-long U.S.-Iran conflict, with both governments making competing claims over who effectively controls passage through a waterway normally responsible for about a fifth of global oil consumption.
Iran's military has said vessels cannot pass through the strait without its authorization, while the United States has imposed a naval blockade around Iranian ports and says it is committed to protecting navigation for non-Iranian shipping.
Commercial traffic through Hormuz has slowed further despite diplomatic efforts involving Oman to negotiate a mechanism for reopening the route.
Those talks have produced indications of progress but remain stalled over Iranian demands for broader U.S. concessions.
Tehran has said an agreement with Oman governing shipping arrangements would not by itself be enough to fully reopen the strait.
The dispute intensified after the United Arab Emirates accused Iran of attacking an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessel transiting Hormuz.
The UAE Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and called for the waterway to be reopened, while Iran has repeatedly linked unrestricted passage to the outcome of its confrontation with Washington.
Reuters reported on Friday that traffic through Hormuz had slowed further after two commercial vessels were attacked and the United States threatened additional economic measures against Tehran.
The confrontation carries significant implications for global energy markets because prolonged disruption of the strait can restrict crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments from Gulf producers.
Trump has simultaneously increased pressure on Iran while telling Americans they may need to accept higher gasoline prices resulting from the conflict.
Lebanon condemns deadly Israeli strikes
The escalation in the Gulf coincided with the deadliest Israeli attacks on Lebanon since a U.S.-brokered truce took effect in June.
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people and wounded 19 on Saturday, according to Lebanese authorities.
Seven people were killed in Ansar, including three children, while another four were killed in Deir al-Zahrani.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the strikes, saying attacks on civilians could not be justified and warning that they threatened efforts to stabilise the country.
President Joseph Aoun also criticised the attacks, saying they undermined negotiations aimed at establishing a more durable security arrangement between Lebanon and Israel.
Israel said its military operations were launched in response to a Hezbollah attack that wounded three Israeli soldiers and said the strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and personnel.
The Israeli military said a Hezbollah commander, Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, was among those killed.
Lebanese officials said civilians were also among the dead.
Hezbollah vowed an “appropriate” response and accused Israel of escalating the confrontation.
Saturday's violence represents a serious test of the June ceasefire framework, which calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and a phased Israeli withdrawal from areas it holds in southern Lebanon.
Israel said this week that further withdrawals would depend on progress toward disarming Hezbollah, while the Lebanese government has argued that Israeli forces must leave Lebanese territory as part of the process.
The dispute has become one of the central obstacles to implementing the agreement.
The latest developments underscore the fragility of U.S.-led attempts to contain the wider Middle East conflict.
Washington is simultaneously trying to negotiate conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, maintain pressure on Tehran and prevent renewed large-scale fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
For now, neither front appears settled.
Iran continues to insist that it controls access through Hormuz, while shipping remains severely disrupted.
And in Lebanon, the killing of 11 people in a single day has placed an already fragile truce under its most serious strain in weeks.