Iran’s renewed declaration Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz was closed introduced fresh uncertainty into a fragile regional truce reached days earlier with the United States. Tehran’s military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned ships to avoid the waterway, citing ongoing Israeli operations in Lebanon and accusing Washington of failing to meet commitments under the interim framework.
U.S. officials disputed the claim. U.S. Central Command said traffic continued through the strategic route, which carries a major share of global oil shipments, and that American forces were monitoring conditions. A spokesperson said Iran did not control the strait. President Donald Trump also treated the passage as open, while suggesting the United States could impose transit charges if a final agreement is not completed within 60 days.
The dispute came as Vice President JD Vance traveled to Switzerland for negotiations with Iranian representatives and mediators from Pakistan and Qatar. The talks are intended to build on Wednesday’s memorandum between Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which called for an end to hostilities involving Israel in Lebanon and the reopening of the strait without Iranian tolls for at least 60 days.
Vance said before departing that negotiators would focus on Iran’s nuclear program and the Lebanon ceasefire, while adding that conditions in Lebanon appeared to be slowing. Earlier, he said talks on technical details were progressing and that tanker traffic through Hormuz had rebounded since the ceasefire.
The backdrop remains volatile. Israeli retaliatory strikes to ongoing attacks from Hezbollah in southern Lebanon earlier Saturday killed at least 16 people, including two children, according to Lebanese authorities cited by the Associated Press. Iranian state media warned of further steps if aggression continued.
For now, the competing accounts leave shipping markets and diplomats watching whether the interim accord can survive its first major test and move toward a lasting settlement soon.