Iran says Hormuz closed over Lebanon strikes; US
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- Iran's military announced the Strait of Hormuz closure, accusing the US of violating the 14-point memorandum's first clause requiring "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon"
- US Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins disputed the closure, stating "traffic continues to flow" and that "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz"
- BBC Verify tracking data showed at least five tankers passed through the Strait on Saturday while several vessels made U-turns; Centcom separately reported 55 merchant ships transited that day
- JD Vance departed Washington for direct US-Iran talks in Switzerland on Sunday, telling reporters he hoped to make progress on "the nuclear issue" and the "Lebanon ceasefire issue"
- At least 20 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon less than 24 hours after a new Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire was announced; Lebanon's health ministry said 4,057 people have been killed since the conflict restart on March 2
- Donald Trump posted on social media that the US could impose its own tolls on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz if the US and Iran fail to reach a negotiated deal
- Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif will attend the start of the Switzerland talks; Islamabad hosted the previous US-Iran round in April, continuing Pakistan's role as mediator
Why it matters: With roughly $600 billion in annual energy trade moving through the Strait, Iran's closure claim functions as diplomatic leverage rather than a physical blockade — 55 merchant ships transited that day. The decisive question lands at the negotiating table in Switzerland, where Vance must reconcile Israel's ongoing Lebanon operations with Iran's reading of the 14-point memorandum.
