Israel orders military to ceasefire in Lebanon

Jerusalem, June 20 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz have ordered the military to cease fire in Lebanon, local media reported on Saturday.

However, the Israeli military did not withdraw from the territories they hold in southern Lebanon, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on Saturday, Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz once again, citing alleged violations of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the US and Israel.

Just days after announcing an agreement lifting naval blockades, Iran’s top joint military command, ​Khatam al-Anbiya Central ‌Headquarters, said the closure comes in response to the “explicit breach” of the first clause of the post-war MoU by the US and Israel and “ongoing violations” of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon, Iran’s semi-official ​Mehr ​news agency reported.

The headquarters said that in light of the United States’ clear breach of its commitments regarding the first article of the MoU on ending the war and Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, it is announcing that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic.

The MoU between Iran and the US was signed on June 18 by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump through a simultaneous digital process without an in-person ceremony.

“The agreement’s first article provides for the immediate and permanent termination of military operations between Iran, the US, and their respective allies across all fronts, including Lebanon, and commits the parties to refrain from future military action or threats of force,” the report by Mehr noted.

Iran on Friday introduced new regulations for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, requiring ships to register in advance and obtain permits and insurance before entering one of the world’s most critical energy shipping routes, after the earlier reopening of the waterway under a US-Iran agreement.

–IANS

ksk/khz