June 21, 2026
The Iranian military
command said the closure was the “first step” in response to what it described
as breaches of the ceasefire agreement, warning that further measures would be
taken if “aggression” continued, according to state
media.
The US military denied Iran had control of the strait. A spokesman for Central Command said: “Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”
The reports emerged as JD Vance, the US vice-president, told Fox News that he was confident the ceasefire agreed in Washington’s 14-point deal with Tehran would hold. He claimed there was no evidence that the strait was shut.
A pause on fighting in Lebanon is a condition for continuing peace negotiations, which will also include discussions on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
08:05pm
We are pausing our live coverage for now. Here’s a round up of today’s events:
Pakistan’s prime minister to attend US-Iran talks in Switzerland
Pakistan’s prime minister is expected to travel to Switzerland, the latest high-profile figure to attend the talks between the US and Iran.
Pakistan has operated as a crucial mediator in peace talks since a ceasefire was first announced. Qatari officials are also participating as mediators.
07:13pm
Israeli soldier killed in south Lebanon
The Israeli military said that one of its soldiers was killed in fighting in southern Lebanon on Saturday, marking the fifth such fatality since a US-Iran deal was reached to end the Middle East war.
Staff Sergeant Nir Ben Ari “fell in combat” in southern Lebanon, the military said, a day after four other Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Their deaths led Israel to resume strikes against Hezbollah on Friday and Saturday, killing dozens, and putting further strain on the US-Iran peace agreement.
06:45pm
Who will be at the Switzerland talks?
JD Vance is expected to fly to Switzerland later on Saturday to participate in tomorrow’s negotiations, according to reports.
Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are already at the Burgenstock alpine resort.
According to state media,Tehran’s delegation includes lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister, and central bank and oil officials.
Top officials from mediating countries, including Qatar’s prime minister, are also expected to take part in the technical talks.
Negotiations planned for Friday were postponed at the last minute after Israel carried out a wave of deadly strikes in Lebanon. Washington then announced a renewed ceasefire there on Friday afternoon. Hours later, there were further clashes between Hezbollah and Israel.
06:19pm
Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Lebanon rises to 20
Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 20 people on Saturday, Lebanon’s state news agency said, one day after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.
The latest strikes are underscoring the fragility of a truce aimed at halting months of escalating violence.
05:53pm
US military: Iran does not have control of the Strait
The US military on Saturday denied Iran’s claims that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, saying the critical waterway remained open.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the Strait of Hormuz shut earlier on Saturday and warned ships not to approach the waterway, casting new doubt on the future of a peace accord with Iran and the US.
05:31pm
Hezbollah says Israel bears ‘full responsibility’ for truce violations
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, said that Israel bore “full responsibility” for violating a ceasefire announced a day earlier.
Ongoing Israeli attacks “are no longer just ceasefire agreement violations but represent clear aggression and a continuation of the war in every sense. Accordingly, full responsibility lies with the Israeli occupation”, it said in a statement, adding that Israel “has never adhered to ceasefire provisions” including the recent US-Iran deal and Friday’s announcement.
The IDF maintains it was acting to defend Israel and its troops inside Lebanon, which have come under attack by Hezbollah militants. It deadly strikes on southern Lebanon continued on Saturday.
04:59pm
Analysis: Iran’s Hormuz closure is a test of US ability to constrain Israel
The claim by the Iranian military that it has once again closed the Strait Of Hormuz is almost certainly designed to ramp up the pressure on the US to bring its Israeli ally to heel.
Iran is furious that Israel has not pulled out of Lebanon as it believes the memorandum of understanding it negotiated with the US requires it to do.
“It is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic. It is noted that this first step is a response to the enemy’s breach of promise,” said Iran’s central military command in a statement carried by state Iranian state TV.
How much of this rhetoric will translate into action in the strait remains to be seen.
US and Iranian negotiators are huddled in Switzerland this weekend trying to thrash out a broader peace deal and to settle the Iranian nuclear question.
This is difficult with Hezbollah and Israel continuing to trade blows in Lebanon.
The timing of the announcement suggests Iran is intent on testing the US’s ability to constrain Israel – something that the entire deal implicitly relies on.
04:22pm
Netanyahu orders Israel’s military to ‘hold its fire’ in Lebanon
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has ordered the military to “hold its fire” in Lebanon.
The instruction comes following “coordination between the political echelon and the United States,” Channel 12 reported, adding that the military will not withdraw from southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) earlier said it remained “committed to the ceasefire agreement” but would act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and IDF troops.”
Lebanese media reported several Israeli strikes in the south of the country since the IDF’s announcement.
04:19pm
Vance to travel to Switzerland ‘today’ ahead of talks tomorrow
JD Vance is expected to travel to Switzerland today to begin talks with Iran, according to a US official.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are already on the ground in preparation of the higher-profile talks to discuss technical elements of the negotiations.
The US vice-president said that the talks would officially start once the Iranian, Qatari and Pakistani government delegations arrive. “That may happen as soon as tomorrow, but these things are always a little bit in flux,” he told Fox News on Saturday.
“I expect that I will leave some time the next couple of days, but, you know, it’s always a delicate coordination dance,” he said.
CNN, citing a US official, said Mr. Vance would fly today, but could not confirm timings.
03:58pm
US military remains ‘present and vigilant’ in Strait of Hormuz
The US military said on Saturday it remained “present and vigilant” in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after Iran announced it was closing the critical shipping lane.
“US forces remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect,” US Central Command said in a statement.
There had been no comment from the White House yet on Iran’s decision to close the strait, despite it being a key term of the US-Iran accord signed this week.
Minutes before, CENTCOM had announced that commercial ship traffic in the strait had increased on Saturday, noting that US forces continued operating in the area to support freedom of navigation.
03:40pm
Vance claims flow of oil through strait has reached pre-war levels
JD Vance claimed the flow of barrels of oil from through the Strait of Hormuz has reached pre-war levels.
Speaking to Fox News this morning, just as Iran announced it is closing the shipping lane, Mr Vance said: “We got 16 million barrels out of the Strait of Hormuz in just the last 24 hours.
“That is basically to where it was before the war even started, and and so that suggests that the straits really are open.”
A total of 25 commercial ships crossed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday - the most since April, according to ship tracking data.
Mr Vance’s interview took place around the same time Tehran said it would close the strait over Israeli attacks on Lebanon, however it is unclear whether he knew about the development.
“We’re not seeing any evidence that the Iranians closing down the Strait of Hormuz” Mr Vance said. There had been some conflicting reports over whether the strait was open on Friday.
“Now, what I would believe is that if a ship was going near a minefield either our Navy or somebody else’s Navy, there are a lot of countries other than Iran who are in the region, might say, no, don’t go there because there are mines there,” Mr Vance added.
03:22pm
Iran negotiators to travel to Switzerland to discuss US deal
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Saturday that its negotiators would travel to Switzerland for talks with the US, minutes after Tehran announced it would close the Strait of Hormuz.
Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesman for the ministry, said the delegation would “travel to Switzerland to follow up and demand implementation of the other party’s commitments” under the deal.
The confirmation of Tehran’s participation followed soon after JD Vance, the US vice-president, said he intended to soon travel to the summit in Obbürgen, which had been postponed.
On Thursday, Mr. Vance abruptly cancelled his trip after after Tehran refused to send its chief negotiator, insisting that continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon were preventing progress towards a deal.
03:18pm
Iran’s statement on Hormuz closure:
“It is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic; It is noted that this first step is a response to the enemy’s breach of promise, and if the aggression continues, further steps will be planned and taken to force the enemy to comply with its obligations,” said the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters in a statement on state TV.
Iran has closed the
Strait of Hormuz once again over Israeli “violations” of the peace deal agreed
with the US, Tehran’s military has said.
The US military denied Iran had control of the strait. A spokesman for Central Command said: “Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”
The reports emerged as JD Vance, the US vice-president, told Fox News that he was confident the ceasefire agreed in Washington’s 14-point deal with Tehran would hold. He claimed there was no evidence that the strait was shut.
A pause on fighting in Lebanon is a condition for continuing peace negotiations, which will also include discussions on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
08:05pm
We are pausing our live coverage for now. Here’s a round up of today’s events:
- Israel carried out strikes against Lebanon overnight and into Saturday morning
- Iran’s military said it was shutting the Strait of Hormuz in response to the ‘breach’ of the ceasefire
- The IRGC warned all ships that try to cross the crucial shipping lane would be ‘at risk’
- The US Central Command said the waterway remains open for commercial shipping
- Earlier, Washington had claimed that shipping was returning to pre-war levels, although tanker traffic remains low
- JD Vance, top Iranian officials along with Pakistani and Qatari mediators are preparing for talks in Switzerland
- Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the IDF to ‘hold its fire’ in Lebanon
- Another Israeli soldier was killed fighting in Lebanon
- At least 95 people have been killed in Lebanon in Israeli strikes since the fighting flared up on Wednesday
Pakistan’s prime minister to attend US-Iran talks in Switzerland
Pakistan’s prime minister is expected to travel to Switzerland, the latest high-profile figure to attend the talks between the US and Iran.
Pakistan has operated as a crucial mediator in peace talks since a ceasefire was first announced. Qatari officials are also participating as mediators.
07:13pm
Israeli soldier killed in south Lebanon
The Israeli military said that one of its soldiers was killed in fighting in southern Lebanon on Saturday, marking the fifth such fatality since a US-Iran deal was reached to end the Middle East war.
Staff Sergeant Nir Ben Ari “fell in combat” in southern Lebanon, the military said, a day after four other Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Their deaths led Israel to resume strikes against Hezbollah on Friday and Saturday, killing dozens, and putting further strain on the US-Iran peace agreement.
06:45pm
Who will be at the Switzerland talks?
JD Vance is expected to fly to Switzerland later on Saturday to participate in tomorrow’s negotiations, according to reports.
Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are already at the Burgenstock alpine resort.
According to state media,Tehran’s delegation includes lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister, and central bank and oil officials.
Top officials from mediating countries, including Qatar’s prime minister, are also expected to take part in the technical talks.
Negotiations planned for Friday were postponed at the last minute after Israel carried out a wave of deadly strikes in Lebanon. Washington then announced a renewed ceasefire there on Friday afternoon. Hours later, there were further clashes between Hezbollah and Israel.
06:19pm
Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Lebanon rises to 20
Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 20 people on Saturday, Lebanon’s state news agency said, one day after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.
The latest strikes are underscoring the fragility of a truce aimed at halting months of escalating violence.
05:53pm
US military: Iran does not have control of the Strait
The US military on Saturday denied Iran’s claims that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, saying the critical waterway remained open.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the Strait of Hormuz shut earlier on Saturday and warned ships not to approach the waterway, casting new doubt on the future of a peace accord with Iran and the US.
05:31pm
Hezbollah says Israel bears ‘full responsibility’ for truce violations
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, said that Israel bore “full responsibility” for violating a ceasefire announced a day earlier.
Ongoing Israeli attacks “are no longer just ceasefire agreement violations but represent clear aggression and a continuation of the war in every sense. Accordingly, full responsibility lies with the Israeli occupation”, it said in a statement, adding that Israel “has never adhered to ceasefire provisions” including the recent US-Iran deal and Friday’s announcement.
The IDF maintains it was acting to defend Israel and its troops inside Lebanon, which have come under attack by Hezbollah militants. It deadly strikes on southern Lebanon continued on Saturday.
04:59pm
Analysis: Iran’s Hormuz closure is a test of US ability to constrain Israel
The claim by the Iranian military that it has once again closed the Strait Of Hormuz is almost certainly designed to ramp up the pressure on the US to bring its Israeli ally to heel.
Iran is furious that Israel has not pulled out of Lebanon as it believes the memorandum of understanding it negotiated with the US requires it to do.
“It is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic. It is noted that this first step is a response to the enemy’s breach of promise,” said Iran’s central military command in a statement carried by state Iranian state TV.
How much of this rhetoric will translate into action in the strait remains to be seen.
US and Iranian negotiators are huddled in Switzerland this weekend trying to thrash out a broader peace deal and to settle the Iranian nuclear question.
This is difficult with Hezbollah and Israel continuing to trade blows in Lebanon.
The timing of the announcement suggests Iran is intent on testing the US’s ability to constrain Israel – something that the entire deal implicitly relies on.
04:22pm
Netanyahu orders Israel’s military to ‘hold its fire’ in Lebanon
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has ordered the military to “hold its fire” in Lebanon.
The instruction comes following “coordination between the political echelon and the United States,” Channel 12 reported, adding that the military will not withdraw from southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) earlier said it remained “committed to the ceasefire agreement” but would act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and IDF troops.”
Lebanese media reported several Israeli strikes in the south of the country since the IDF’s announcement.
04:19pm
Vance to travel to Switzerland ‘today’ ahead of talks tomorrow
JD Vance is expected to travel to Switzerland today to begin talks with Iran, according to a US official.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are already on the ground in preparation of the higher-profile talks to discuss technical elements of the negotiations.
The US vice-president said that the talks would officially start once the Iranian, Qatari and Pakistani government delegations arrive. “That may happen as soon as tomorrow, but these things are always a little bit in flux,” he told Fox News on Saturday.
“I expect that I will leave some time the next couple of days, but, you know, it’s always a delicate coordination dance,” he said.
CNN, citing a US official, said Mr. Vance would fly today, but could not confirm timings.
03:58pm
US military remains ‘present and vigilant’ in Strait of Hormuz
The US military said on Saturday it remained “present and vigilant” in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after Iran announced it was closing the critical shipping lane.
“US forces remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect,” US Central Command said in a statement.
There had been no comment from the White House yet on Iran’s decision to close the strait, despite it being a key term of the US-Iran accord signed this week.
Minutes before, CENTCOM had announced that commercial ship traffic in the strait had increased on Saturday, noting that US forces continued operating in the area to support freedom of navigation.
03:40pm
Vance claims flow of oil through strait has reached pre-war levels
JD Vance claimed the flow of barrels of oil from through the Strait of Hormuz has reached pre-war levels.
Speaking to Fox News this morning, just as Iran announced it is closing the shipping lane, Mr Vance said: “We got 16 million barrels out of the Strait of Hormuz in just the last 24 hours.
“That is basically to where it was before the war even started, and and so that suggests that the straits really are open.”
A total of 25 commercial ships crossed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday - the most since April, according to ship tracking data.
Mr Vance’s interview took place around the same time Tehran said it would close the strait over Israeli attacks on Lebanon, however it is unclear whether he knew about the development.
“We’re not seeing any evidence that the Iranians closing down the Strait of Hormuz” Mr Vance said. There had been some conflicting reports over whether the strait was open on Friday.
“Now, what I would believe is that if a ship was going near a minefield either our Navy or somebody else’s Navy, there are a lot of countries other than Iran who are in the region, might say, no, don’t go there because there are mines there,” Mr Vance added.
03:22pm
Iran negotiators to travel to Switzerland to discuss US deal
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Saturday that its negotiators would travel to Switzerland for talks with the US, minutes after Tehran announced it would close the Strait of Hormuz.
Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesman for the ministry, said the delegation would “travel to Switzerland to follow up and demand implementation of the other party’s commitments” under the deal.
The confirmation of Tehran’s participation followed soon after JD Vance, the US vice-president, said he intended to soon travel to the summit in Obbürgen, which had been postponed.
On Thursday, Mr. Vance abruptly cancelled his trip after after Tehran refused to send its chief negotiator, insisting that continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon were preventing progress towards a deal.
03:18pm
Iran’s statement on Hormuz closure:
“It is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic; It is noted that this first step is a response to the enemy’s breach of promise, and if the aggression continues, further steps will be planned and taken to force the enemy to comply with its obligations,” said the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters in a statement on state TV.
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