Oil flows through strait but Lebanon strikes raise peace doubts

Lead

A day after the United States and Iran signed an interim peace agreement, about 12.5 million barrels of crude oil sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the highest volume since the conflict began in late February. But fresh Israeli air strikes in Lebanon have cast doubt on the durability of the accord, which also calls for an end to the war there.

The memorandum of understanding, signed Wednesday by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, took effect two days earlier than expected. It provides for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of a US naval blockade of Iranian ports. US Vice President JD Vance told reporters at a White House briefing that more than a dozen ships had already reached Iranian ports and that oil traffic through the strait had increased overnight.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the agreement and its immediate aftermath varies in emphasis. Australia's ABC focused on the agreement's implications for Lebanon, noting that Israeli forces launched fresh air strikes early Thursday despite the deal. The ABC also highlighted that the memorandum explicitly calls for the permanent termination of the war in Lebanon and the preservation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

France 24's coverage, meanwhile, highlighted the unraveling of the deal's initial phase. In a broadcast segment, the outlet reported that Tehran had announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—contradicting Vance's statements about increased traffic—and that Iran accuses Israel of continuing air strikes in Lebanon in breach of the agreement. Israel maintains it is responding to repeated attacks by Hezbollah.

Another France 24 article, drawing on AFP and Reuters, presented a more positive outlook, emphasizing Vance's assurances that Washington was fulfilling its commitments and that the goal in Lebanon was to enable the Lebanese government to police the south, rather than the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Key Claims

The following claims have been reported by multiple sources, unless otherwise noted:

• US Vice President JD Vance said more than a dozen ships had reached Iranian ports after Washington lifted its naval blockade, and that oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had increased, with more than 12.5 million barrels passing through the waterway overnight Wednesday.
• President Trump hailed the agreement as a 60-day peace deal, and the memorandum of understanding explicitly calls for the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US blockade of Iran's ports.
• Vance said the US expected Tehran to forgo missiles capable of "broadly threatening the entire world" under the terms of the deal, while retaining the right to self-defence.
• The goal of the agreement in Lebanon, according to Vance, is to allow the Lebanese government to police the south of the country, rather than Hezbollah, so that Israel is not threatened and does not attack Lebanese territory.
• Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, despite a provision in the agreement guaranteeing safe passage for commercial vessels. This claim has been carried by a single outlet (France 24) and has not been independently confirmed by other sources cited in this article.
• Israel has said it has no intention of withdrawing from Lebanon, according to an ABC report. This statement has not been corroborated by other outlets in this analysis.
• Iran accuses Israel of continuing air strikes in Lebanon since the agreement was signed; Israel says it is responding to repeated attacks by Hezbollah. Both claims are reported by multiple sources.

Perspectives

The agreement has been met with cautiously optimistic statements from US officials. Vance emphasized the progress made in reopening trade routes and the potential for the deal to bring stability. However, the reality on the ground in Lebanon suggests a more complicated picture. Israel's exclusion from the negotiations and its continued military operations there indicate that one of Washington's closest allies may not be aligned with the terms of the accord. Iran's announcement of the strait's closure, if confirmed, would directly violate the agreement's core provision, creating a significant diplomatic challenge. The response of global markets—with Brent crude futures falling to below $78 a barrel—suggests traders are cautiously optimistic, but the situation remains fluid and could shift rapidly depending on events in Lebanon and the strait.