Iran says Strait of Hormuz is closed again but traffic continues, according to monitoring

Maritime traffic monitoring applications on Saturday showed traffic continued in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran's IRGC Navy announced it had closed the crucial waterway again in response to continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon.US President Donald Trump soon responded by threatening to impose US tolls in the strait if a final deal with Iran was not reached in 60 days, saying the money would be for “services rendered as the guardian angel to the countries of the Middle East.”His social media post also said that the framework agreement signed on Wednesday calls for toll-free travel for 60 days.According to the Fars news agency, the IRGC Navy said the decision had also been made "in view of the flagrant bad faith and breach of covenant by America regarding the failure to implement the first clause of the end-of-war agreement."However, cargo vessels continued traversing the strait unhindered, Marine Traffic monitoring website showed.The announcements indicated a rough start to technical-level US-Iran talks that key mediator Pakistan said will begin Sunday, with Qatari mediators also participating.US media have reported that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have since arrived in Switzerland, with US Vice President JD Vance stating he also expected to partake in the negotiations with their Iranian counterparts "in the next couple of days".The Iranian foreign ministry confirmed to state-run news agency Fars that a delegation has left Tehran for Switzerland.According to Fars, it is headed by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi along with other officials representing national security, the central bank and the oil industry.Negotiations toward a final agreement will begin once key commitments are upheld, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. If they are not, “the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardised.”An earlier meeting between US and Iranian negotiators in Switzerland along with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan was cancelled on Friday — the first get-together after a framework deal Washington and Tehran both initialled on Wednesday.Washington disputed Tehran's announcement on the strait.“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,” said Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command.The US military said that 55 merchant ships transited on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil.Fighting in Lebanon persistsThe closure of Hormuz came after Israel carried out a fresh wave of strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday morning following the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah on Friday.Earlier Saturday, Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement there. Seven people were trapped under rubble after strikes hit the southern city of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.The IDF said the strikes were in response to its forces coming under fire from more than 50 Hezbollah launches in southern Lebanon overnight."Among the targets struck were rocket launch positions, weapons storage facilities, and command centers," it said of its strikes on Lebanon.The IDF later reported that four Israeli soldiers were killed during the fighting on Friday and one more on Saturday.A Hezbollah official told AP that Iran informed the militant group that Tehran won't reopen the strait until Israel announces publicly that it will comply with a “comprehensive ceasefire” in Lebanon and an end to military operations there.The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly.The official said that Hezbollah would commit to a ceasefire if Israel does.An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, later said that the military had received “updated directives from the political echelon to cease fire.”The IDF official said that the Israeli military is operating in a defensive manner in Lebanon, which includes the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks.The death toll in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war has surpassed 4,000, Lebanon’s health ministry later announced.