On a day marked by conflicting military reports and high-stakes diplomacy, Iran announced Saturday on state television that it has closed the critical Strait of Hormuz to all maritime traffic. The military command, operating through the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, cited ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon as the reason for the shutdown and accused the United States of a “clear breach of its commitments” to halt the regional warfare.
The announcement came just as diplomatic delegations from both Tehran and Washington arrived in Switzerland to discuss a fragile interim peace agreement, signaling a rocky start to technical-level talks scheduled to begin Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump quickly countered the Iranian move on social media, threatening to impose American tolls on ships traversing the vital global energy chokepoint if a final deal with Iran is not reached within 60 days. Trump noted that the current interim agreement mandates toll-free travel during the 60-day negotiation window, asserting that any future fees would be collected for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”
The technical negotiations will be mediated by Pakistan and Qatar. U.S. Vice President JD Vance departed for Switzerland on Saturday evening, expressing optimism regarding progress on both Iran’s nuclear program and a potential ceasefire in southern Lebanon. Vance confirmed that top American negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already on the ground. Iranian state television broadcast footage of its own delegation arriving, which includes parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and various central bank and petroleum officials. The interim deal hinges on terms that would see billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets released.
These talks were originally slated to begin Friday, but Iranian officials temporarily canceled their plans due to escalating hostilities in Lebanon. While U.S. and Qatari mediators managed to help broker a quiet agreement between Israel and Hezbollah to temporarily reduce the fighting, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei warned that formal negotiations depend on all sides meeting their commitments. If those terms are violated, Baghaei stated, “the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. military directly disputed Iran’s claim that the shipping lane had been shut down.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command.
The U.S. military reported that 55 merchant ships safely transited the strait on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil. This maritime traffic had only recently resumed following the signing of the interim U.S.-Iran agreement earlier in the week, which saw the U.S. lift its blockade on Iranian ports to allow free oil sales—a concession that has drawn criticism from some members of the U.S. Congress who question whether the broader war was worth it.
The naval standoff remains deeply intertwined with the ground war in Lebanon. A Hezbollah official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that Iran informed the militant group it would keep the strait closed until Israel publicly commits to a “comprehensive ceasefire” and halts all military operations in Lebanon. The official noted that Hezbollah would match any Israeli ceasefire commitment.
An Israeli military official later confirmed that the army had received “updated directives from the political echelon to cease fire,” but emphasized that forces are currently operating defensively and retain the right to respond to attacks. The official added that five Israeli soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon within the last 48 hours.
The human toll of the conflict continues to rise, with Lebanon’s health ministry announcing that the death toll in this latest Israel-Hezbollah war has now surpassed 4,000 people. On Saturday morning, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, and left seven others trapped under rubble in Nabatiyeh and surrounding villages. The strikes followed an overnight volley where Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces, prompting retaliatory strikes on dozens of Hezbollah targets.
This conflict erupted two days after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, leading to a major Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon and continuous Hezbollah rocket fire. On Friday, the Israeli ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, stated that Israel “remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire,” provided that Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases hostilities. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah are formal signatories to the U.S.-Iran interim deal.
A diplomatic resolution remains difficult as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that troops will stay in southern Lebanon until the security threat to northern Israel is eliminated, while Hezbollah refuses to stop fighting until Israeli forces completely withdraw. A new round of U.S.-backed talks between the Lebanese government and Israel is expected in Washington next week.
On the ground, civilian reaction to the potential peace talks remains mixed. In the coastal city of Tyre, where Israeli jets flew low on Saturday, resident Hussein Khoshman noted, “Our entire lives would change if there’s a ceasefire.” Conversely, in the northern Israeli town of Metula, resident Miriam Hod expressed deep skepticism, stating, “I don’t believe in a ceasefire because it doesn’t exist.”
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