Vance expects Iran talks, Guards say strait shut again
US Vice President J.D. Vance said he expects to travel to Switzerland soon to meet with Iran, even as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed over alleged ceasefire violations by the US and Israel.
The move by the hardline Revolutionary Guards appears to have raised the stakes ahead of talks that Pakistani officials say will begin on Sunday; as both sides seek to advance the interim agreement signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to end almost four months of war.
The Revolutionary Guard has warned ships not to approach the waterway, a vital conduit for global oil and gas supplies, citing what it calls Israel’s “crimes” in Lebanon and violations of US commitments to maintain a ceasefire.
It was stated that the safety of the ships would be at risk if they approached the Bosphorus.
US Central Command said 55 commercial ships passed through the strait on Saturday, carrying large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets.
Fox News aired an interview with Vance on Saturday; Vance said that the United States was confident that the ceasefire reached in the 14-article agreement with Iran would be valid and that he saw no evidence that the strait was closed.
“I hope to leave within the next few days, but you know it’s always a delicate dance of coordination and diplomatic protocols,” Vance said.
He added that US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff “have been in Switzerland for several hours dealing with some of the technical elements of this negotiation.”
“From speaking to Jared and Steve this morning, I understand everything is going well,” he added.
Iran’s foreign ministry said negotiators would travel to Switzerland later in the day.
Iranian media said the Iranian delegation was led by chief negotiator Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as well as senior security, central bank and oil officials.
🔊PR No.1️⃣4️⃣8️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣Technical Level Discussions Within the Scope of Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding 🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9FbJ4WB1Bp— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) June 20, 2026
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran would pressure Switzerland to fulfill its commitments, citing the other side’s past failures to comply with agreements.
One of the conditions for starting 60-day talks on Iran’s nuclear program and other issues is the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
However, Lebanon Civil Defense said 16 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday, hours after a ceasefire came into force in Lebanon.
Israel said it was responding to attacks from Hezbollah, while the Iran-linked group said Israel would not allow “freedom of movement” in Lebanon.
Israel, which is excluded from the talks, says it is not a party to the Iran-US agreement and will keep its forces in the occupied Lebanese territory.
A US official said the ceasefire would go into effect at 4pm on Friday, and Israeli and Hezbollah sources also confirmed the agreement.
‼️⭕️Repeated Ceasefire Violations: Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles towards IDF soldiers serving in southern Lebanon. To eliminate threats and respond to Hezbollah’s blatant violations, the IDF struck dozens of Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure facilities and terrorists…— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 20, 2026
Lebanese news agency NNA said Israeli warplanes and drones struck Hezbollah strongholds across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on Saturday.
The civil defense agency said 16 people were killed in the raids.
An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 shells at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, and Israel responded by attacking what it described as Hezbollah targets.
The military statement stated that Israel is committed to the ceasefire and will continue to take action against any threat to Israel or its forces.
Hezbollah said it remained committed to the ceasefire but would respond to any Israeli attempt to seize territory or expand its occupation.
Switzerland said it continues to maintain a “confidential and secure environment” at the mountain resort of Burgenstock to facilitate discussions.
The foreign ministry said no further details about the participants and the content of the talks would be disclosed.
