Iran to close Hormuz Strait as new Iran-US talks begin

Negotiations over the Middle East war were set to resume Sunday in Switzerland, with Iranian negotiators arriving just hours before U.S. Vice President JD Vance. However, tensions flared as Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz again, citing Israeli attacks in Lebanon and a U.S. "breach of contract."

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make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're going to be focused on

Before his flight, Vance expressed hope for progress on the nuclear issue and a Lebanon ceasefire. Follow-up talks had been postponed from Friday after Israel launched strikes in Lebanon, which followed the deaths of four Israeli soldiers. Washington announced a renewed ceasefire Friday, a condition of its preliminary agreement with Iran, but clashes resumed Saturday.

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the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic.

Iran's central military command stated the Strait of Hormuz would be closed to vessel traffic due to "the Zionist regime's continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon." The Strait is a critical conduit for oil and gas shipments. Tehran had previously agreed to reopen it under an accord signed by President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian.

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There would be no tolls "unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America"

U.S. Central Command asserted that safe passage through the waterway remained intact, with U.S. forces present and vigilant. Meanwhile, Trump posted on Truth Social that Washington might impose its own tolls on Hormuz if negotiators failed to finalize the deal, stating, "There would be no tolls unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America."

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demand implementation of the other party's commitments