Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and accused the United States and Israel of failing to uphold commitments made under a ceasefire agreement signed earlier this week, as strikes in Lebanon cast doubt over a broader diplomatic effort to end months of conflict across the region.
The announcement came as a senior Iranian delegation departed for Switzerland ahead of talks with US representatives scheduled for Sunday. Tehran said the meeting would focus on securing implementation of commitments contained in the 14-point memorandum signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned vessels not to approach the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian military officials linked the move to continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which Tehran says violate the agreement’s first provision requiring an immediate end to military operations on all fronts.
The United States disputed claims that the waterway had been shut. US Central Command said 55 merchant vessels had passed through the strait on Saturday carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil and other cargo. Vice-President JD Vance also said Washington had seen no evidence that shipping traffic had been halted.
The disagreement over the status of the strait emerged as renewed violence spread across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley despite a ceasefire announced less than 24 hours earlier.
Lebanese officials reported at least 20 deaths from Israeli strikes on Saturday, including members of a family killed in the town of Barish. Local authorities also reported the death of a Lebanese soldier in an attack near Nabatieh.
Israel says its forces had responded after Hezbollah launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli positions in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military stated that it had struck dozens of Hezbollah targets, including weapons facilities and command sites.
Hezbollah acknowledged attacks against Israeli forces but accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire first. The group said it remained committed to the truce while reserving the right to resist attempts to expand Israeli military control inside Lebanon.
The US-Iran memorandum of understanding was reached earlier this week after nearly four months of illegal US-Israeli war against Iran and Lebanon.
Under the agreement, both sides committed to begin negotiations on a final settlement within 60 days. The United States agreed to start removing naval restrictions and ease sanctions, while Iran committed to facilitating safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining limits on military escalation.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would use the Switzerland meeting to demand fulfilment of commitments before any discussion on a final agreement could proceed.
He said negotiations on a permanent settlement would only begin after key provisions of the memorandum had entered into force.
The Iranian delegation travelling to Switzerland is led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, national security officials, central bank representatives and senior energy officials.
On the US side, Vance confirmed that presidential adviser Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff had already arrived in Switzerland to prepare technical discussions. Vance said he expected to join the talks within days and expressed confidence that diplomacy remained on track.
Pakistan, which helped mediate the agreement alongside Qatar, confirmed that technical-level talks would begin on Sunday in the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock. Officials from both mediating countries are expected to participate.
Iran has repeatedly stated that any lasting agreement depends on an end to Israeli military aggression and occupation in Lebanon. Israeli leaders have insisted their military campaign against Hezbollah will continue where they believe security threats remain.
The dispute has also exposed differences between Washington and Jerusalem. In recent days, US officials have publicly criticised Israeli operations in Lebanon and urged restraint. Reports in Israeli media suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed military commanders to reduce operations after discussions with American officials, although Israeli forces have continued strikes against targets they claim are immediate threats.
The coming talks in Switzerland will now focus not only on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief, but also on whether the ceasefire provisions at the centre of the memorandum can survive the renewed fighting in Lebanon.
HT