Iran Reportedly Closes Strait of Hormuz Again Due to Israel's Attack on Lebanon

Iranian authorities reportedly closed the Strait of Hormuz again on Wednesday (8/4/2026) local time. The closure followed Israel’s military attack in Lebanon against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The closure was reported by Iran’s government media, Fars.

However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the reports were “false.” Leavitt made this comment when asked about the Strait of Hormuz closure report from the Fars news agency.

“The President was aware of the reports before I came to the podium; it is completely unacceptable and once again, this is a case where what they say publicly differs from what they say privately,” Leavitt told reporters.

“We have seen an increase in traffic in the strait today,” she added. Leavitt stated that Lebanon is not part of the US-Iran ceasefire.

Meanwhile, two tankers successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz. This is based on MarineTraffic, a ship tracking service.

The Greek-owned vessel NJ Earth and the Liberian-flagged Daytona Beach successfully passed through the strait, the first ships to cross the strategic waterway since the temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced.

Previously, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire agreement with Iran, after he warned he would order devastating attacks on Tehran if the country did not open the Strait of Hormuz.

“The terms of the US-Iran ceasefire are clear and explicit: the US must choose – ceasefire or ongoing war through Israel. The US cannot have both,” wrote Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday on the social media platform X.

“The world is witnessing the massacre in Lebanon,” said Araghchi. “The ball is in the US’s court, and the world is watching whether the US will act according to its commitments,” he added.