Ships in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15, 2026.
Stringer | Reuters
Iran said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz was closed again and warned ships to stay away from the critical shipping route, but the United States denied the 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 by the Iranian military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps comes as Iranian negotiators prepare to travel to Switzerland for technical talks with U.S. officials scheduled to begin Sunday.
Iran’s Joint Military Command said the closure of the strait was a response to continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon and what it described as U.S. “bad faith” and failure to honor commitments made under the truce, AP reported. Iranian state television said “further measures are planned” if what it calls aggression continues, according to multiple media reports.
Earlier Saturday, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, the AP reported, citing Lebanese authorities. Lebanon’s National News Agency said seven people remained trapped under rubble in Nabatiyeh and nearby villages after the attacks, according to AP.
The US military, however, said the Strait of Hormuz had not been closed and said US forces were monitoring the situation to ensure it remained open, Reuters reported.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told Reuters. “Traffic continues to flow and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure that remains the case.”
The attempt to close the strait further raises the stakes ahead of negotiations in Switzerland, which aim to advance the interim agreement. reached Wednesday between the American president Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after nearly four months of war.
The signed memorandum of understanding had called for an immediate end to Israel’s military actions in Lebanon and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without tolls imposed by Iran for at least 60 days.
U.S. officials have disputed Iran’s claim that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told Reuters. “Traffic continues to flow and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure that remains the case.”
Vance says talks will continueAmerican Vice President J.D. Vance struck an optimistic tone Saturday, saying negotiations were moving forward despite Iran’s latest threat to close the strait.
Speaking on Fox News earlier Saturday, Vance said Jared KushnerTrump’s son-in-law and special envoy Steve Witkoff in Switzerland were working on the technical details of the deal. He added that the discussions were “going well.”
Vance noted that tanker traffic rebounded sharply following the ceasefire agreement.
“We actually pulled 16 million barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz yesterday,” Vance said. “This is a record that dates back even before the start of the conflict.”
He also said negotiators were focused on securing Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium to make it “effectively impossible” for Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program, while emphasizing that the United States would retain significant economic leverage if Iran failed to comply with the deal.
Vance said he planned to travel to Switzerland within days to participate in negotiations with Iran, while warning that diplomatic arrangements involving Qatari and Pakistani mediators were still being finalized.
