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Posted on 06/19/2026 7:30:29 AM PDT by Salman
WASHINGTON — Iran re-closed the Strait of Hormuz Friday instead of heading to Switzerland for nuclear negotiations, citing Israel’s refusal to pull forces out of southern Lebanon and US forces’ ongoing presence in the region.
In a statement read over maritime radio channels, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the US was in violation of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, which President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed Wednesday.
“Since Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, the complete lifting of the naval blockade, and the withdrawal of American terrorist forces from the Persian Gulf and the region are among the main conditions of the agreement between Iran and the United States, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until these conditions are met,” it said. “All ships are requested, for the sake of their security and safety, not to approach the Strait of Hormuz. Any vessel that defies this directive will be targeted.”
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The check must have cleared.
Our country is full of stupid and naive politicians.
Rule #1: Never stop bombing (target their electrical and water grids) until your enemy comes on their knees and begs to surrender. We learn nothing over the last 47 years. I hate DC politicians.
They say a lot of things. Trying to deal with them is a F’n nightmare. Let’s see if they actually close it again.
I guess it went over the writer’s head that TRUMP’S SEA BLOCKADE WAS THE “KEEP KICKING” that dealt continuous damage to Iran.
Evidently, Trump's sea blockade dealt enough continuous damage to Iran cause them to agree to this MOD but not damaging enough to force them to accept other terms, such as regime change.
Conversely, one would expect that Iran's sea blockade inflicted enough damage on Trump to cause him to refrain from bombing and enter into this MOD.
The reasons for Trump entering into this MOD are not generally known but might include: 1) lack of confidence that we could successfully break Iran's blockade at a price we and merchant shippers were willing to pay; 2) fear that Iranian missiles and drones could inflict maximum damage on "allied" nations across the Gulf from Iran destroying vital oil refineries and water desalinization plants, causing untold economic hardship and even massive death; 3) assessment by Secretary of Treasury, Bissant, and others who felt the world economy was approaching severe damage from oil shortfalls and that was was to be expected to be reflected in the bond market, a more critical market than the stock market for this purpose; 4) Trump consulted opinion polls and concluded the standoff with Iran and its accompanying high oil prices domestically and inflation would cause the Republicans to lose the upcoming November elections and that was more important to him than holding out for a stronger agreement.
4) I don't pretend to know how this agreement was rationalized, but I would guess that Trump concluded that he could not end the sea blockade by Iran with bombing, he could not effectively and safely convoy ships through the Strait, he could not guarantee the safety of Gulf nations' installations, and that time would not favor the economy while he played a waiting game that was in fact a Mexican standoff offering him know safe options.
If blame for the situation can be assessed against Trump it must be: 1) he failed to account for and prepare for the obvious counter move by Iran to block the Strait of Hormuz; 2) he failed to prepare the nation or allies for war and none, therefore, felt the slightest obligation to support his war; 3) his gratuitous attacks on NATO, EU and Europe generally converted these potential allies into sniping dissenters; 4) he failed to arm potential insurrectionist in Iran to foment overthrow of the regime; 5) he restricted the Kurds from intervening whose attack against Iran that might have generated widespread revolt against the regime. 6) Trump took the wrong lesson from Venezuela and applied it where it did not fit in Iran; 7) Trump stopped bombing too soon; 8) Trump blustered too much, overpromised, and failed to read Churchill's maxims about clearly defined war aims.
Finally, none of these possible explanations resort to the reactive conclusion that the war was unwinnable ab initio. That conclusion is subjective and ideological.
Gee, who DIDN’T see this coming?
Maybe this has been kabuki, building the justification for the US to seize control of Hormuz.
How long was it open? About 2 and 1/2 minutes?
When dealing with Muslims only total destruction will result in peace, maybe, any breathing space given to them allows rearming and recruiting then the war starts all over again.
I for one am completely shocked. They promised they’d be nice.
Gee, I really thought this MOU had a good chance of success. /s
This administration allowing Iran to realize the leverage they could exercise with control of the Strait is one of the greatest foreign policy blunders of our lifetime.
Probably just long enough for a shipment of shoulder fired missiles to be delivered.
Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.
🚨 JUST NOW: Iran just HELPED broker the new Israel-Lebanon/Hezbollah ceasefire with President Trump and Qatar, seeking to stop the firing on all sides
https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2067971479573041568
Lebanon inclusion is a trap. Iran can unleash hizbollah to provoke Israel whenever it wants distraction, delay- and if POTUS bites like Biden did, and squeezes Israel rather than Iran, it puts a wedge between US and Israel. Lebanon is sovereign territory (too bad they don’t act like it) and Iran treats it as a vassal state.
Peace in Iran will never occur as long as the Revolutionary Guard exists.
You can't trust anyone whose religion says it is okay, even honorable, to lie to nonbelievers. Bomb them until they beg you to stop, then keep bombing them until they can't even light a hooka.
They do not “control” the “Strait”. They can however be a fly in the ointment when it comes to unfettered access to it.
The US is still maintaining 5 aerial refueling planes along or near the Gulf and Strait. I guess Trump doesn’t really believe his ‘stuff’, or he has something else in mind. Apparently, things are more chaotic in Iran now than ever.
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