The United States and Iran are set to hold technical-level talks in Switzerland on Sunday, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir expected to attend, according to officials in Islamabad. The talks come as Tehran reimposed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz over continuing Israeli attacks in Lebanon, testing the durability of a newly signed accord ahead of the next phase of negotiations.
Iran's Announcement and US Response
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his counterpart Eskandar Momeni and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, as Iran’s joint military command warned of further measures if Israel continued its Lebanon strikes. Iran’s central military command claimed on Saturday that it had once again closed the vital Strait of Hormuz days after the waterway was reopened following the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, claiming Israeli strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon violate Tehran’s agreement with Washington.
“It is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic; It is noted that this first step is a response to the enemy’s breach of promise, and if the aggression continues, further steps will be planned and taken to force the enemy to comply with its obligations,” said the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters in a statement carried by state TV.
The US military, however, denied the strait was shuttered, saying it remained open and that US forces were monitoring the situation to ensure that continued. “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told Reuters. “Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”
Commercial Traffic and US Presence
CENTCOM earlier said it was continuing to operate “in the general area” of Hormuz “to support freedom of navigation,” reporting that commercial traffic rose on Saturday as 55 merchant ships carrying cargo and 17 million barrels of oil passed through the strait. “US forces remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect,” CENTCOM added.
US Vice President JD Vance also said he saw no evidence that Hormuz was closed, instead suggesting that Iran was diverting vessels from sailing into naval mines, as he told Fox News in an interview that he was confident the ceasefire agreed in Washington’s 14-point deal with Tehran would hold. “We know those straits have a lot of mines in them… what I would believe is that if a ship was going near a minefield… [Iran] might say, ‘no don’t go there because there are mines there,’” Vance said, noting that the memorandum includes a 30-day period for mine-clearing operations.
Background of the Deal
The deal, signed this week by US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, aims to end a conflict that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, calling for a cessation of fighting between the US, Iran and their allies on all fronts, including Lebanon. It also provides for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the launch of a 60-day negotiation period on broader issues, including Tehran’s nuclear program.
Additionally, a US official announced a truce between Israel and Hezbollah on Friday that began at 4 p.m. local time. Israeli and Hezbollah sources confirmed the agreement to Reuters. The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday that it was “committed to the ceasefire agreement in accordance with the directives of the political echelon,” while striking Hezbollah in south Lebanon after the terror group fired “some 50 projectiles at Israeli troops” during separate overnight incidents in the area. Previous ceasefires reached in US-brokered Israeli-Lebanese talks have failed to stick, with Hezbollah rejecting the talks out of hand and slamming the Lebanese government for negotiating directly with Israel.
Diplomatic Momentum
Despite the latest strain on the fragile deal, diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran appeared to be gaining momentum, with mediator Pakistan announcing that technical talks to implement the agreement would begin Sunday, and Vance indicating the same. “As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that Pakistani and Qatari mediators would participate in the discussions with US and Iranian representatives.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Switzerland on Saturday for the first round of talks with Iran on a potential nuclear deal, Axios reported, citing a US official. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was already in Switzerland, it added. Vance also told Fox News that he expects to travel to Switzerland for talks with Iran in the coming days. According to CNN, Vance was expected to depart for Switzerland later Saturday. “We’ll plan the talks when the principals from the Iranian government, also the Qatari and the Pakistani governments, arrive. That may happen as soon as tomorrow,” Vance told Fox.
The Iranian negotiating team was also set to leave for Switzerland on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency. Switzerland continued to provide a “discreet and reliable setting” at Burgenstock to facilitate discussions on implementing the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, the Swiss foreign ministry said. It added in a statement that no further details would be disclosed about participants and the content of the talks, citing confidentiality.
Mediators' Meeting
Mediators in the US-Iran conflict, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, were also said to be due to gather for talks in Egypt on Sunday, after a meeting between negotiators slated for Friday in Switzerland was called off, raising uncertainty over the future of talks.
