Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again: Tehran says US negotiating team heading to Switzerland

Iran on Saturday played down the failure of an interim deal with the United States, citing anger over ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Tehran announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz again and signaled limited expectations for the upcoming talks in Switzerland, even as its representatives prepared for the talks, the AP reported.

First, Iran’s Joint Military Command said the strait was closed, citing Israeli attacks and US “ill will” and a “clear violation of its commitments” by not ending the war. Her statement on state television warned that “further actions are planned if the aggression continues.”

Shortly afterward, state television announced that Iran’s negotiating team was heading to Switzerland “in the coming minutes,” a trip that had originally been planned for Friday, the AP reported.

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But State Department spokesman Esmail Bagahei suggested little could happen until Iran felt the US was abiding by the deal.

“Therefore, this path is about demanding that the other side meet its commitments,” he said, adding that negotiations on a final agreement would only begin after key commitments were met. If they are not, he said, “the MoU as a whole will be in jeopardy.”

The ships began passing through the strait after an interim agreement between the US and Iran was signed earlier this week, a milestone that has left many questions unanswered.

Israeli attacks in Lebanon kill at least 16

Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, on Saturday, just hours after news of a ceasefire agreement there. Seven people were trapped under rubble after strikes hit the southern town of Nabatiyeh and surrounding villages, Lebanon’s National News Agency said. The death toll from the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has exceeded 4,000, Lebanon’s health ministry said.

Meanwhile, mediators stepped up efforts to secure a ceasefire after a major exchange of attacks left at least 47 dead in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers on Friday.

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An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight. The official spoke anonymously in accordance with regulations. The Israeli military said it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets and militants in southern Lebanon, including Hezbollah command centers.

On Friday, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, said Israel “remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire” if Hezbollah abides by the agreement and ceases hostilities, the AP reported.

On Saturday, Hezbollah said it had committed to the ceasefire but accused Israel of violating it several times on Friday night. A statement from the group’s military wing said it would respect the ceasefire but also repel attacks by Israeli troops.

Is Vance going to Switzerland?

US Vice President JD Vance confirmed on Saturday that talks were underway in Switzerland and said he would travel there in the coming days after canceling a planned trip on Thursday night, CNN reported.

“I expect to leave sometime in the next few days, but you know it’s always a delicate dance of coordination and diplomatic protocols,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News. “I have to be honest with you, I don’t understand much about these things. I’ve never been much into diplomatic protocols.”

The vice president also confirmed that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff are in Switzerland for talks.

The conflict could sink the US-Iran deal

Hezbollah and Israel entered the war two days after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, with Hezbollah firing missiles and drones at northern Israel and Israel seizing large parts of southern Lebanon.

The US-Iran Interim Agreement reopened the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had closed when the war unfolded, cutting off the global economy from important supplies of oil and natural gas. The deal also calls for renewed talks on Iran’s nuclear program, a major sticking point in the war.

Neither Israel nor Hezbollah are signatories to the agreement, which calls for a halt to military operations in Lebanon and respect for the country’s sovereignty.

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 halt its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon, which Iran says is also a condition of the deal.

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A new round of talks between the Lebanese government and US-backed Israel is expected to take place in Washington next week.

Fighting in the south is taking place near the Israeli-Lebanese border

The raid on Barish village killed four members of the same family, including two parents and their children. In Arab Salim, rescue teams fished a body from the rubble of a destroyed house. Separate drone attacks in Doueir and Kfar Rumman claimed the lives of a motorcyclist and a Lebanese soldier.

Elsewhere, attacks on the villages of Qannarit, Sohmor and Shehour left nine dead, according to local reports.

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Clouds of smoke rose into the sky over southern Lebanon and Israeli jets flew low over the coastal city of Tyre. Residents there told The Associated Press they were relieved Tire had been spared in recent days, but the sounds of Israeli jets reminded them the war was far from over.

Many doubted that a ceasefire – even if agreed – would hold.

“Our whole lives would change if there was a ceasefire,” said Hussein Khoshman, a resident of Tyre.

Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment on the truce efforts. On Friday, Netanyahu said that on his orders, the Israeli military had “hit hard” at 150 Hezbollah targets, killing dozens of militants.

Military spokesman Brig. General Effie Defrin said Israeli forces were operating in a “forward defense zone” and would continue to do so.