Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz After Ceasefire Agreement Expires

A ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on June 17 between Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expired on August 17, 2026, leading to renewed hostilities and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement, mediated by Pakistan, had aimed to end a conflict that began February 28 with a U.S.-Israeli offensive involving the assassination of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared a military and political victory, asserting that the U.S. and Israel failed to achieve any of their nine declared objectives. Ghalibaf stated the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfills commitments to lift oil sanctions, release frozen assets, and end military operations. Shortly after these statements, a projectile struck a ship off the coast of Oman, causing one crew casualty.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of sabotaging the agreement, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shifted to a maximum deterrence offensive posture. Major General Mostafa Izadi of the IRGC claimed Iranian air defenses neutralized over 200 hostile aircraft during the conflict and stated that U.S. efforts toward regime change failed. President Trump rejected these claims, demanding Iran's surrender and reiterating that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon.