Israel's Actions Prompt Iran to Close Strait of Hormuz Again
Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have impacted activities in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has once again closed this sea route connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The Israeli military launched attacks on Lebanese territory, killing 112 people. The strikes also injured hundreds of others in Lebanon.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that his forces carried out attacks targeting hundreds of Hezbollah members across Lebanon.
“The IDF conducted a sudden strike against hundreds of Hezbollah members in command centres across Lebanon. This is the biggest concentrated blow Hezbollah has suffered since Operation Beepers,” Katz said in a video statement, referring to the major 2024 operation against Hezbollah involving pager bombs, as reported by AFP on Wednesday (8 April 2026).
Israel launched a series of strikes in Beirut on Wednesday (8 April), causing panic among residents in the most intense attack on the capital since the start of the war with Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said it had carried out the “largest coordinated strike across Lebanon”. Israel insists that the two-week ceasefire in its war with Iran does not apply to Lebanon.
According to CNN on Thursday (9 April 2026), Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli strikes in various parts of the country, including the capital Beirut, had killed at least 112 people, according to the latest provisional data. Another 837 people were injured in the day’s attacks, the ministry said.
Strait of Hormuz Closed by Iran Again
Iranian authorities have reportedly closed the Strait of Hormuz again following Israel’s military strikes in Lebanon against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The closure was reported by Iran’s state media, Fars.
Two tanker ships successfully passed through the strait, which handles about 20 percent of the world’s oil supplies, according to Marine Traffic, a ship tracking service.
The Greek-owned ship NJ Earth and the Liberian-flagged Daytona Beach successfully transited the strait, the first vessels to cross the strategic waterway since the announcement of a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
The strait closure coincided with Israel’s military strikes in Lebanon on Wednesday, which killed hundreds of people.
As reported by The Hill on Thursday (9 April 2026), when asked about reports of the Strait of Hormuz closure from the Fars news agency, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the reports “false.”
“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 through the strait today,” she added.
Israel to Continue Attacking Hezbollah
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that Israel will continue to strike the Iran-backed Hezbollah group “wherever necessary”. He made the statement on Thursday (9 April), a day after massive Israeli attacks hit Lebanon.
“We continue to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination,” Netanyahu wrote on his personal X account, as reported by AFP news agency on Thursday (9 April 2026).
“Our message is clear: anyone who acts against Israeli civilians – we will strike them. We will continue to strike Hezbollah wherever necessary, until we fully restore security for residents in northern Israel,” he added.
The Israeli military (IDF) described the assault on Lebanon as the largest wave of airstrikes on the country. The IDF claimed to have struck more than 100 Hezbollah command centres and military locations within 10 minutes. The southern outskirts of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley in the east were targeted.