Iran said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz is once again closed for what they claim are ceasefire violations after Israel continued its strikes in Lebanon overnight.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy warned all ships to not to approach the waterway, which Iran had committed to reopening under the interim peace deal that was signed last week.
Iran’s top joint military command said the closure was the “first step” in response to what was described as violations of the deal by both the U.S. and Israel, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social in response to the news and threatened to impose U.S tolls in the strait if a final deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days.
Overnight, Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people, including two children, according to Lebanese civil defense and media. The strikes came just one day after the U.S. said Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a new ceasefire at Trump’s request.
Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland, joining Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the ongoing negotiations.
“I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, hopefully make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue,” Vance told reporters before departing the United States. “Those are the two big things that I think we’re going to be focused on.”
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced “technical-level talks” will begin on Sunday, with U.S. and Iranian representatives joined by mediators from Qatar and Pakistan.
Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, told Iranian media the trip was a “mission to demand the fulfillment of the other side’s obligations”.
Officials from Tehran and Washington were originally set to meet in Switzerland on Friday to begin 60 days of negotiations on a “final” deal, but those talks were postponed.
