Iran, having discovered its bargaining value during the war, has been adamant on retaining its control on traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, while the US and some of its regional allies were keen that this not be the case.
Smoke rises following an Israeli controlled-explosion on the village of Kfartibnit as seen from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon on July 29, 2026. While violence has declined since the signing of a preliminary US-Iran deal in June and the Lebanon-Israel agreement, Lebanon continues to report intermittent Israeli strikes and artillery shelling on the south. Lebanon's army on July 26 condemned ongoing Israeli military activities that it said were preventing its full deployment under the framework deal. (Photo by Ammar Ammar / AFP) /