Iran says Strait of Hormuz shut as U.S.-Iran talks set for Sunday in Switzerland
Middle East
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Buildings damaged by Israeli strikes are seen through shattered glass from the Jabal Amel Hospital in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, on Thursday. Hassan Ammar/AP hide caption
Iran's military said it has closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israel's latest strikes in Lebanon, even as Iranian and U.S. negotiators prepare to meet Sunday in Switzerland for talks.
What you need to know about the preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement signed by Trump
The U.S. military, meanwhile, denied the claim that the strait was closed, leaving a key piece of the freshly signed Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries up in the air.
On Saturday Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the strait closed, according to state-controlled Iranian media, citing what it called "the explicit breach of the first clause of the post-war memorandum of understanding by the United States" and the latest exchange of fire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Iran's state broadcaster Press TV reported the IRGC Navy was warning all vessels to "absolutely refrain from any movement in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice."
But U.S. Central Command said shipping through the strait was proceeding normally, insisting on social media that 55 commercial vessels had completed the transit successfully, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil, and that "safe passage through the international waterway remained intact." The U.S. added that its forces remained "present and vigilant" to ensure all terms of the agreement with Iran were being honored. Even with this disagreement over the vital waterway, both nations appear to be proceeding toward the next phase of diplomatic talks.
Vice President JD Vance confirmed Saturday morning on Fox News that presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and former senior White House adviser Jared Kushner had already arrived in Switzerland. "Jared and Steve have been on the ground now for a few hours dealing with some of the technical elements of this negotiation," Vance told Fox and Friends, adding that full talks could begin "as soon as tomorrow."
Vance and second lady Usha Vance departed the U.S. on Saturday afternoon for talks in Switzerland.
"I can only be there for a day or two. I think we're going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're to be focused on," Vance told reporters Saturday. "I'm sure the Iranians are going to have issues they'd like to discuss as well."
When asked about fighting in Lebanon possibly affecting the diplomatic process, Vance said, "Things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit."
Vice President Vance points to a reporter to take a question in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Thursday. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
Meanwhile an Iranian state-controlled news agency said Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi would also travel to Switzerland to "follow up on the implementation" of the MoU signed by Washington and Tehran. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed the location and timing of what it called "technical-level" talks, in the Swiss resort town of Bürgenstock, adding that Pakistani and Qatari mediators would be participating alongside the U.S. and Iranian representatives.
The stakes for these talks are considerable.
A 2015 agreement between the U.S. and Iran brokered under the Obama Administration, the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, took almost two years to negotiate and placed hard limits on Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for international sanctions relief.
The first Trump administration withdrew from it unilaterally in 2018. Years of diplomatic dead-ends followed, including indirect talks via the Omanis and again in Geneva earlier this year, before a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign launched against Iran in late February.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed this week does not involve other nations, as did the JCPOA, but commits both countries to 60 days of talks, which could be extended, on a final nuclear agreement, with significant incentives for Tehran including reconstruction funds and eventual sanctions relief.
On Saturday, President Trump said on social media that the U.S. could impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz if a deal isn't reached. "There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs," Trump said.
Lebanon conflict remains a potential dealbreaker
The more immediate threat to this broader peace process are events in Lebanon. Israeli forces and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire throughout Saturday, hours after a ceasefire announced Friday appeared to — very briefly — take hold. The Lebanese National News Agency reported strikes on the southern town of Nabatiyeh and surrounding villages killed at least 16 people, with civilians among the dead.
Israel's military said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at its forces overnight who were operating in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said it was responding to Israeli advances toward Lebanese territory and insisted it remains committed to any genuine ceasefire.
U.S. lifts blockade on Iranian ports as 60-day clock for a final deal starts ticking
Neither Israel nor Hezbollah signed the U.S.-Iran MoU, though the agreement explicitly calls for a halt to military operations in Lebanon and respect for Lebanese sovereignty — a provision Iran says the United States is obligated to enforce.
Talks originally scheduled for Friday in the Swiss resort town were postponed because of the fighting in Lebanon.
