Trump dealt devastating blow as Iranians close down Strait of Hormuz again: report

President Donald Trump’s coveted peace deal with Tehran was dealt a devastating blow Saturday after Iranian officials announced they would, again, be closing the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping vessels.

In a message from the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces operational headquarters, Iranian military officials announced that the strait – a critical shipping waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil trade flows – would be closed due to the “flagrant bad faith and breach of covenant by America regarding the failure to implement the first clause of the end-of-war agreement,” according to the Iranian Fars News Agency.

The first clause of the 14-point memorandum of understanding agreed to by Washington and Tehran requires Israel to halt its bombardment of Lebanon, which Israel has refused to abide by since the signing of the tentative agreement.

“The brutal massacre and displacement of hundreds of thousands of the oppressed people of this land, and also in light of the occupying Zionist forces' refusal to withdraw from the lands of southern Lebanon, it declares that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to the passage of vessels,” the Iranian military officials said, according to an English translation of Fars News Agency’s reporting.