Tehran: Iran is halting oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after Israel attacked Lebanon, according to the semi-official news agency Fars. The decision comes amid escalating tensions in the region following military actions by Israel.
According to Ghana Web, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier stated that Lebanon was included in a ceasefire agreement involving Israel, the United States, and Iran. Despite this agreement, the Israeli military has expressed its intention to continue its attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Israel executed what it described as its largest strikes on Lebanon since the start of the ongoing conflict. Fars also reported that since the ceasefire was supposed to take effect, only two oil tankers have been permitted to cross the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Additionally, a vital oil pipeline used by Saudi Arabia to transport crude oil to the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, was attacked. Three separate news outlets reported that a pumping station along the 1,200-kilometer East-West pipeline was targeted around 1:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday. According to the Financial Times, one of the sources revealed that the pipeline was struck by a drone.