Image Credentials: Image Title: TRUCE UNDER FIRE IRAN THREATENS HORMUZ CLOSURE AS LEBANON OFFENSIVE ESCALATES Source: (sora.openai) Date: April 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (sora.openai) and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
TEHRAN/WASHINGTON — The “Islamabad Accord” is facing a lethal credibility crisis just 24 hours after its inception. On Wednesday, the Iranian government issued a stark ultimatum: Tehran will formally withdraw from the two-week ceasefire and resume the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz unless Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon are halted immediately.
The threat follows a day of unprecedented violence in Lebanon, where over 100 Israeli strikes in a single 10-minute window left at least 254 dead. The escalation has exposed a massive diplomatic fault line: while Tehran views Lebanon as a core component of the truce, Washington and Tel Aviv have explicitly categorized it as a “separate skirmish.”
The Ultimatum: “All Fronts or No Ceasefire”
Speaking through the state-affiliated Fars News Agency, Iranian officials warned that the “Islamabad Accord” cannot be a “one-sided shield” for U.S. and Israeli operations. Ibrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the National Security Committee, delivered the regime’s most direct warning yet:
“Either there is a ceasefire on all fronts, or there is no ceasefire on any front. We are currently identifying targets for a response that will be more devastating than before.”
Tehran’s primary lever remains the Strait of Hormuz. Despite allowing two tankers to pass early Wednesday as a gesture of “good faith,” Iran’s Navy has reportedly sent messages to vessels in the Persian Gulf warning that the waterway remains effectively closed. Shipping sources report that any vessel attempting to transit without explicit Iranian permission risks being “targeted and destroyed.”
Trump: “Hezbollah is a Separate Skirmish”
In a defiant response from Washington, President Donald Trump confirmed to PBS News that the exclusion of Lebanon from the deal was intentional.
“Yeah, they were not included in the deal,” Trump said, referring to Lebanon and Hezbollah. When asked why, he replied, “Because of Hezbollah. They were not included. That’ll get taken care of, too. It’s alright.”
The President further clarified his stance on Truth Social, characterizing the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Beirut and southern Lebanon as a “separate skirmish” that does not violate the 10-point proposal he accepted on Tuesday night.
A “Messy” Reality on the Ground
The gap between the diplomatic text and the tactical reality is growing:
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Maritime Security: While U.K. and U.S. naval assets are working to restore “freedom of navigation,” Lloyd’s of London has maintained “extreme” insurance premiums for the region, citing the IRGC’s active presence.
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Casualty Crisis: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that leaving the “Lebanese front burning” risks a humanitarian collapse. Over 1.5 million people are now displaced in Lebanon, with casualties approaching 1,600 since the war expanded.
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Drone Incursions: Tensions spiked further on Wednesday afternoon after Iran reportedly downed an Israeli-made drone over Isfahan, an act Tehran labeled a direct violation of the truce.
The Islamabad Summit: A Dead End?
Diplomats from the U.S. and Iran are still scheduled to meet in Islamabad on April 11 to negotiate a permanent end to Operation Epic Fury. However, with the IRGC reportedly preparing “regretful retaliation” and Israel vowing to continue its “Mighty” (Adir) campaign in Lebanon, the two-week window for peace is rapidly closing.
As oil prices fluctuate around the $115 mark, the world remains focused on the 21-mile-wide Strait of Hormuz. If Tehran follows through on its threat to halt traffic again, the “Islamabad Accord” may be remembered not as a peace deal, but as a brief pause before a much larger regional conflagration.