Iran reportedly closes Strait of Hormuz again, raising doubt over talks

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday and warned ships to stay away from the critical shipping route, but the United States denied those claims, saying the waterway remained open.

Tensions between the two countries escalated just days after Tehran and Washington reached an interim agreement to end hostilities in the region.

The announcement, made by Iran’s military and the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, came as Iranian negotiators prepared to travel to Switzerland for technical-level talks with US officials scheduled to begin on Sunday.

Iran’s joint military command said the closure of the strait was a response to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Lebanon, the “malicious intent” of the United States and what it described as a failure to fulfill commitments under the ceasefire framework, AP reported. Iranian state television said “next steps are being planned” if what it called aggression continued, according to multiple outlets.

According to AP’s report, based on Lebanese officials, at least 16 people, including two children, were killed in Israeli attacks on Southern Lebanon in the early hours of Saturday. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said seven people were trapped under rubble in Nabatiyeh and surrounding villages following the attacks, according to the AP.

According to Reuters, the US military said that the Strait of Hormuz was not closed and US forces were monitoring the situation to ensure that the strait remained open.

“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told Reuters. “Traffic continues to flow and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure it remains that way.”

The attempt to reopen the strait raises risks ahead of talks in Switzerland aimed at advancing the interim agreement reached on Wednesday between US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after nearly four months of war.

The signed memorandum of understanding called for an immediate end to Israel’s military actions in Lebanon and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran without tolls for at least 60 days.

US officials disputed Iran’s claim that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.

“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told Reuters. “Traffic continues to flow and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure it remains that way.”

Vance said talks will continue

US Vice President J.D. Vance struck an optimistic tone on Saturday, saying talks were progressing despite Iran’s latest threat to close the strait.

Speaking on Fox News Earlier Saturday, Vance said Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy in Switzerland Steve Witkoff were working on the technical details of the deal. He added that the talks were “going well.”

Vance noted that tanker traffic recovered sharply after the ceasefire agreement.

“We actually extracted 16 million barrels of oil from the Strait of Hormuz yesterday,” Vance said. “This is a record that goes back to before the conflict started.”

He also said negotiators were focused on securing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium to make it “virtually impossible” for Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program, and emphasized that the United States would wield significant economic influence if Iran did not comply with the deal.

Vance said he expected to travel to Switzerland within days to participate in Iran talks, but cautioned that diplomatic arrangements involving mediators from Qatar and Pakistan were still being finalized.