The motorcade carrying U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrives at the luxury Burgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, June 21, 2026, ahead of high-level talks aimed at advancing a deal to end the Middle East conflict. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)
Fabrice Cofrini | Afp | Getty Images
American Vice President J.D. Vance arrived in Switzerland early Sunday for the next phase of negotiations with Iran, a day after Tehran once again declared the Strait of Hormuz closed.
Iran warned ships on Saturday 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 agreement. interim agreement 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 added that 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.”
President Donald Trump also indicated that the administration considered the strait open to traffic. He suggested the United States could start charging for ships to pass through the strait if the parties fail to convert the interim agreement into a final deal within 60 days.
“There will be NO tolls in the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days during the ceasefire period, and there will be NO tolls after the expiration of the 60-day period, unless imposed by and for the United States of America, if the agreement is not reached,” he said in a statement. Truth on social media Saturday evening, saying the charges would relate to “services rendered.”
Iran’s attempt to close the strait further raises the stakes ahead of negotiations in Switzerland, which aim to advance the interim agreement reached Wednesday between 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 without tolls imposed by Iran for at least 60 days.
Vance and an Iranian delegation arrive in SwitzerlandA spokesperson for Vance said he and the Second Lady landed at Emmen Air Base in Switzerland. Vance left Saturday evening for Switzerland to resume negotiations with the Iranian delegation, as well as mediators from Pakistan and Qatar.
The vice president told reporters before boarding his flight that he hoped to “make progress on the nuclear issue” and “on the issue of the ceasefire in Lebanon.”
“Despite the headlines, things are getting better there (in Lebanon) and things are slowing down a little,” he said. “This is going to be something that we just have to continually manage to make sure that you know that Israel and Lebanon are both safe and secure.”
The Iranian delegation arrived in Switzerland Saturday, according to Swiss authorities.
Vance struck an optimistic tone earlier in the day, saying talks were moving forward despite Iran’s latest threat to close the strait.
Speaking on Fox Newshe 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.
— CNBC Azhar Sukri, Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
