Vessels on the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15, 2026.
Stringer | Reuters
Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed once more on Saturday and warned vessels to keep away from the crucial transport route, however the U.S. denied these claims, stating the waterway remained open.
Tensions between the 2 nations escalated simply days after Tehran and Washington reached an interim settlement to finish hostilities within the area.
The announcement by Iran’s army and the nation’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps got here as Iranian negotiators ready to journey to Switzerland for technical-level talks with U.S. officers scheduled to start Sunday.
Iran’s joint army command mentioned the closure of the strait was in response to continued Israeli army operations in Lebanon and what it described as U.S. “unhealthy religion” and a failure to uphold commitments below the truce framework, AP reported. Iranian state tv mentioned “subsequent steps have been deliberate” if what it known as aggression continues, based on a number of shops.
Earlier Saturday, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at the very least 16 folks, together with two youngsters, AP reported, citing Lebanese authorities. Lebanon’s state-run Nationwide Information Company mentioned seven folks remained trapped beneath rubble in Nabatiyeh and close by villages following the assaults, based on AP.
The U.S. army mentioned the Strait of Hormuz had not been closed, nonetheless, and mentioned that U.S. forces have been monitoring the state of affairs to make sure that it remained open, Reuters reported.
“Iran doesn’t management the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins instructed Reuters. “Site visitors continues to circulation, and U.S. forces are monitoring the state of affairs to make sure this stays the case.”
The try to shut down the strait once more raises the stakes forward of the talks in Switzerland, that are supposed to advance the interim settlement reached Wednesday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after almost 4 months of conflict.
The signed memorandum of understanding had known as for the fast finish to army actions by Israel in Lebanon and the total reopening of the Hormuz strait with out tolls imposed by Iran for at the very least 60 days.
U.S. officers disputed Iran’s assertion that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
“Iran doesn’t management the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command spokesman Navy Captain Tim Hawkins instructed Reuters. “Site visitors continues to circulation, and U.S. forces are monitoring the state of affairs to make sure this stays the case.”
Vance says talks to proceed
U.S. Vice President JD Vance struck an optimistic tone Saturday, saying negotiations have been advancing regardless of Iran’s newest risk to close the strait.
Talking on Fox Information earlier Saturday, Vance mentioned Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and particular envoy Steve Witkoff in Switzerland have been working by way of the settlement’s technical particulars. He added that discussions have been “going nicely.”
Vance famous that tanker site visitors had rebounded sharply following the ceasefire settlement.
“We truly acquired 16 million barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz yesterday,” Vance mentioned. “That may be a file going again to even earlier than the battle began.”
He additionally mentioned negotiators have been targeted on securing Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile to make it “successfully unattainable” for Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program, whereas emphasizing that america retained vital financial leverage if Iran did not adjust to the settlement.
Vance mentioned he expects to journey to Switzerland inside days to affix the Iran negotiations, although he cautioned that diplomatic preparations involving Qatari and Pakistani mediators have been nonetheless being finalized.
