Iran Shuts Strait of Hormuz as U.S.-Iran Talks Start, 50+ Killed in Lebanon
Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping, accusing the United States of failing to stop Israeli attacks in Lebanon, just as high-level U.S. and Iranian negotiators meet in Switzerland to finalize a temporary nuclear deal and ceasefire.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards shut the strategic waterway on Saturday, hours before Iranian officials arrived in Switzerland for talks that began Sunday [178551]. Tehran’s military said the closure was a direct response to what it called a “flagrant violation” of a preliminary peace agreement signed this week, specifically the U.S. failure to guarantee a halt to Israeli operations in Lebanon [177668]. Israeli strikes there have killed more than 50 people since Friday, according to the Israeli military, which says it is responding to attacks by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah [177668].
The U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, is meeting with Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with Pakistani and Qatari mediators present [178594]. The talks focus on Iran’s nuclear program and a ceasefire in southern Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Hezbollah [178594].
Despite a fragile ceasefire agreed upon Friday between Israel and Hezbollah, violence has continued. At least 16 people were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon on Saturday, including a Lebanese soldier, according to Lebanon’s Civil Defense [177668]. A separate strike on the town of Arabsalim killed at least five [177790]. Since the start of the Israeli offensive on March 2, 4,057 people have died and more than 12,000 have been wounded in Lebanon [177668].
Hezbollah’s leader, Naem Qassem, has rejected any ceasefire that would allow Israel unrestricted military operations in Lebanon. “There is no such thing as a ceasefire with freedom of movement for Israel,” Qassem said [178580].
An Iranian negotiator confirmed that Tehran and Washington have finalized a draft agreement for temporary relief from oil sanctions, but stressed that the broader provisions “will not enter into force” without a final end to the war in Lebanon [178573]. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran if Hezbollah continues attacks [178538].
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has trapped thousands of sailors on ships in the conflict zone, with crews dodging drones and rationing food as they wait for a resolution [178546]. The U.S. disputed Iran’s claim that the strait is closed, saying 55 merchant ships transited on Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil [178594].