Strait of Hormuz tensions rise as Iran cites Lebanon fighting and U.S. bad faith, while tankers continue moving through the key oil route.
Strait of Hormuz tensions escalated again Saturday after Iran said it had closed the vital waterway over Israeli strikes in Lebanon and U.S. “bad faith,” even as Washington reported oil tankers were still moving through.
Iran and the United States also sent officials to Switzerland for technical talks, but Tehran warned it expected little progress unless Washington first met its commitments.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, further straining a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah and threatening wider regional diplomacy.
TYRE, Lebanon — Iran delivered two quick blows to the interim agreement with the United States on Saturday, angered by Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon. Tehran said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz and announced that although its negotiators were heading to Switzerland, little was likely to come from the talks.
Key mediator Pakistan said the technical-level discussions would begin Sunday in Burgenstock, Switzerland, with Qatari mediators also taking part.
In Tehran’s first move, Iran’s joint military command said the strait had been closed, citing Israeli attacks and U.S. “bad faith,” accusing Washington of a “clear breach of its commitments” by failing to end the war. A statement on state television warned that “if the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned.”
Soon after, the state broadcaster said Iran’s negotiating team was traveling to Switzerland, a trip originally scheduled for Friday. State media said the delegation included parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and central bank and oil officials, among others.
Doubt Deepens Over Talks
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Bagahei suggested that little could happen until Iran believes the United States is honoring the deal.
“This trip is therefore about demanding that the other side fulfill its obligations,” he said, adding that talks toward a final agreement would begin only after key commitments were upheld. If not, he warned, “then the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized.”
In Washington, Vice President JD Vance confirmed that senior U.S. negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland and working through technical details of the expected negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
Vance told Fox News he expected to leave for Switzerland “sometime the next couple of days,” while acknowledging that “it’s always a delicate coordination dance.”
As part of efforts to restart direct talks, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Araghchi in Tehran earlier Saturday, according to officials in Islamabad who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The global economy, meanwhile, braced for more uncertainty.
Shortly after Iran’s announcement, which it did not directly address, the U.S. military said commercial ship traffic continued through the strait Saturday, with 55 merchant ships passing through, “moving large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets.”
It was not immediately clear what time of day the vessels had transited.
Ships had begun moving through the waterway after the interim U.S.-Iran agreement was signed earlier in the week, a milestone that still left many questions unresolved.
Israeli Strikes Kill At Least 16 In Lebanon
Earlier Saturday, Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, only hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement there. Seven people remained trapped under rubble after strikes hit the southern city of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry later announced that the death toll in the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah had surpassed 4,000.
Mediators were racing to stop the fighting between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah after a heavy exchange Friday killed at least 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.
An Israeli military official said Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight. The official spoke anonymously in line with regulations. Israel’s army said it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets and militants in southern Lebanon, including Hezbollah command centers.
On Friday, Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter said Israel “remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire” if Hezbollah honors the agreement and ends hostilities.
On Saturday, Hezbollah said it had committed to the ceasefire but accused Israel of violating it several times Friday night. A statement from the group’s military wing said it would abide by the ceasefire while also repelling attacks by Israeli troops.
Pressure Builds On U.S.-Iran Deal
Hezbollah and Israel went to war two days after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Hezbollah fired rockets and drones at northern Israel, while Israel seized large areas of southern Lebanon.
Neither Israel nor Hezbollah are signatories to the deal, which calls for military operations in Lebanon to stop and for the country’s sovereignty to be respected.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until any threat to Israel is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to stop its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon, a condition Iran says is also part of the deal.
A new round of U.S.-backed talks between the Lebanese government and Israel is expected in Washington next week.
Border Fighting Spreads Across Southern Villages
A strike on Barish village killed four members of one family: two parents and their two children. In Arab Salim village, a body was pulled from a destroyed house, while drone strikes in Doueir and Kfar Rumman killed a person on a motorcycle and a Lebanese soldier. Nine others were killed in strikes on Qannarit, Sohmor and Shehour villages.
Smoke rose over southern Lebanon as Israeli jets flew low above the coastal city of Tyre. Residents told the Associated Press they had been relieved that Tyre had been spared in recent days, but the latest violence reminded them the war was not over.
“Our entire lives would change if there’s a ceasefire,” said one resident, Hussein Khoshman.
Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment on ceasefire efforts.
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israeli forces were operating in a “forward defense zone” and would continue doing so.
Chehayeb, Mroue and Ahmed write for the Associated Press and reported from Tyre, Beirut and Islamabad, Pakistan, respectively. AP writers Abby Sewell in Beirut, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Seung Min Kim in Washington and Jamey Keaten in Zurich, Switzerland, contributed to this report.
