Ships in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15, 2026.
Stringer | Reuters
Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday and warned ships to stay away from the vital shipping lane, but the US denied these claims, insisting the waterway remained open.
Tensions between the two countries further escalated days after Iran and the United States reached an interim agreement to end hostilities in the region.
The announcement by the Iranian military and the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps comes as Iranian negotiators prepare to travel to Switzerland for technical-level talks with U.S. officials scheduled to begin on Sunday.
Iran’s Joint Forces Command said the strait blockade was in response to the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and what it described as the United States’ “malicious intentions” and non-compliance with its commitments under the ceasefire framework, the Associated Press reported. According to multiple news outlets, Iranian state television said “subsequent measures are being planned” if the so-called invasion continues.
At least 16 people, including two children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon early Saturday, the Associated Press reported, citing Lebanese authorities. Lebanon’s state news agency said seven people remained trapped under rubble in Nabatiyeh and nearby villages after the attack, according to the Associated Press.
However, the US military said the Strait of Hormuz was not closed and that it was monitoring the situation to ensure it remained open, Reuters reported.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told Reuters. “Traffic congestion continues and the U.S. military is monitoring the situation to ensure it continues.”
Attempts to close the strait again raise the stakes for talks in Switzerland. The talks are aimed at advancing an interim agreement reached between US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday after nearly four months of war.
The signed memorandum called for the immediate suspension of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and the complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian toll collection for at least 60 days.
According to Reuters, US officials disputed Iran’s claims that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told Reuters. “Traffic flow continues and the U.S. military is monitoring the situation to ensure this continues.”
Vance says negotiations will continue
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance struck an optimistic tone Saturday, saying negotiations were progressing despite Iran’s recent threat to close the strait.
Vance appeared on Fox News on Saturday and said that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Swiss special envoy Steve Witkoff were working out the technical details of the deal. He added that talks were “progressing well.”
Vance noted that tanker traffic has picked up sharply since the ceasefire was agreed.
“In fact, 16 million barrels of oil were extracted from the Strait of Hormuz yesterday,” Vance said. “This is a record that goes back to before the conflict began.”
He also said negotiators were focused on securing Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile to make it “virtually impossible” for Iran to rebuild its nuclear program, while stressing that the United States would maintain significant economic influence even if Iran did not comply with the deal.
Vance said he planned to travel to Switzerland in the coming days to take part in Iran negotiations, but warned that the diplomatic deal involving Qatari and Pakistani mediators was still in its final stages.
