Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said on Friday that Iran has told the group there is no reason to keep negotiating with the United States unless a comprehensive ceasefire is in place across all fronts in the Middle East. He made the remarks in comments to Reuters, amid repeated ceasefire violations by Hezbollah and Israeli military responses in Lebanon.
According to Fadlallah, Tehran conveyed to Hezbollah that diplomatic contacts should not continue while fighting remains active and that any deal must cover every front, not only Lebanon. His statement underscored Iran's position that a partial arrangement would not be enough to justify further talks with Washington.
At the same time, Iran's Hormuz Port and Maritime Authority issued a formal statement asserting its control over the Strait of Hormuz. Under the new rules, any vessel seeking to pass through the strait must submit a proper request at least 48 hours in advance, and applications sent through unofficial channels will not be accepted.
The authority also said ships will not be charged any fee for transit over the next 60 days. The announcement came after what the article described as the end of the American blockade as part of a memorandum of understanding.