US-Iran talks set to start as Lebanon fighting fuels Hormuz tensions

Iran's negotiating delegation and US Vice President JD Vance were set to begin talks in Switzerland on Sunday for the first time since a preliminary deal was signed, even as Tehran again declared the Strait of Hormuz closed over what it said was Washington's failure to stop Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

The Iranian team arrived in Zurich on Sunday and was heading to the Buergenstock resort as part of the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed by Washington and Tehran earlier this week, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said in a social media post. A spokesperson for Vance said the vice president departed Washington on Saturday for Switzerland to attend the negotiations.

Tehran's delegation comprised chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and senior officials from the security, financial and energy sectors, Iranian media said. On the US side, Vance was joined by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would use the talks to press the United States over its commitments under the agreement and to clarify how Iran would fulfill its own obligations. He warned that the memorandum risked collapsing unless Washington took immediate steps.

Separately, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced that the Strait of Hormuz was closed to all shipping, saying the move was a response to what it described as Washington's failure to implement the first provision of the MOU, which called for ending hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.

The statement also accused Israel of repeatedly violating a ceasefire in Lebanon through continued attacks and its refusal to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon. It warned that further measures could follow if "aggression" continued.

The US military disputed Iran's claim that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed, saying 55 merchant vessels carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil transited the waterway on Saturday. It added that US forces would ensure commercial traffic continued.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said ships would continue to pass through the strait free of charge during or after the 60-day ceasefire, but suggested Washington could introduce fees if negotiations break down.

He said any such charges would compensate the US for acting as the Middle East's "Guardian Angel."

Fighting in Lebanon

In his Saturday statement, Baghaei said the commitment to end the war on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon, formed the core of the US-Iran understanding. He said Tehran had upheld its obligations, while Washington had failed to compel Israel to halt military operations, amounting to a breach of the agreement.

His remarks came as Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley killed at least 20 people on Saturday, according to Lebanon's state news agency NNA, a day after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.

Israel said the attacks were carried out in response to more than 50 projectiles fired by the Iran-aligned group at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah accused Israel of repeated ceasefire violations and called on Washington to pressure Israel to halt its attacks. Israel said its forces remained committed to the truce and were acting defensively within what it calls a security zone, while Hezbollah said it would continue to resist as long as Israeli troops remained in Lebanese territory.

The latest flare-up in Lebanon has highlighted the increasingly complex and pivotal role Israel plays in shaping the prospects for any broader US-Iran understanding.

US intelligence agencies have reportedly warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing domestic political pressure and elections later this year, could take steps that undermine Trump's efforts to secure a long-term peace arrangement with Tehran.