On June 20, 2026, Iran’s military announced the Strait of Hormuz as “closed,” a decision reportedly linked to recent air strikes in Lebanon. Iran described these strikes as “America’s blatant breach” of a Memorandum aimed at ending the war. This announcement came from the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Despite this strong statement, political representatives from both the U.S. and Iran maintained that the crucial shipping lane remains operational. A message from Iran’s military operations command was shared on Tasnim’s Telegram channel around 9:10 a.m. ET, declaring the closure of the strait to vessel traffic. However, Iran’s foreign ministry gave contrasting information earlier, asserting that the strait was “operating normally” without any closures.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance provided reassurance in an interview with Fox News at 9:30 a.m., emphasizing that “the straits really are open,” highlighting efforts to keep the shipping conduits active.

Tasnim, a semi-official news agency, has links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. Its reports often represent military or hardline perspectives and might not reflect the official government stance.

This disparity in messages contributes to ongoing uncertainty regarding one of the world’s pivotal oil chokepoints. Under typical circumstances, about 20% of global energy supplies transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

This situation is developing, and updates are expected as more information becomes available.