By ABDI HANIR & JULIAN BARNES
Iran’s military said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed to maritime traffic, citing what it called a “clear breach” of U.S. commitments to implement a preliminary deal to end the war, according to a statement carried by state media.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, a central military command, cited the killing and displacement of Lebanese residents from southern Lebanon, along with Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the region, as factors for closing the strait.
The deal between the United States and Iran stipulated an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.
The announcement on the strait came as delayed talks between the United States and Iran appeared ready to restart.
Pakistan, which has served as an intermediary in negotiations to end the war, said in a statement that “technical talks” between Washington and Tehran would begin Sunday in Switzerland.
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News earlier on Saturday that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who serve as envoys for President Trump, were in Switzerland and ready to negotiate, while a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry said an Iranian delegation was on its way.
The United States has not yet commented on the Iranian military statement on the strait.
Iran had closed the strait, a vital waterway for oil and gas shipping, in the early days of the war, rattling the global economy.
Lebanon fighting threatens fragile truce
Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah exchanged fire on Saturday, just a day after a cease-fire had raised hopes of easing their conflict and smoothing a path toward an end to the U.S.-Iran war.
The truce, agreed to on Friday afternoon, had appeared to largely hold, but early Saturday Lebanese state media reported Israeli airstrikes on towns and cities in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese health authorities said at least seven people had been killed and 13 others wounded in the strikes.
The Israeli military said Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting strikes on what it described as Hezbollah targets in the region.
In a statement, Hezbollah said it was adhering to the cease-fire but accused Israel of attempting to advance overnight toward Ali al-Taher, a strategic ridge overlooking the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon, and said its fighters had ambushed an Israeli infantry force.
The conflict in Lebanon, once seen as a secondary front to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, has become one of the main obstacles to ending it.
The United States and Iran agreed to a preliminary deal earlier this week, stipulating an end to fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon, and setting the stage for negotiations in Switzerland.
Iran pulled out of those talks after Israeli strikes in Lebanon, according to diplomats.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry said it was continuing to provide a “discreet and reliable setting” for negotiations, adding that diplomats from several countries remained engaged in efforts to keep dialogue going.
Israel continued attacks across southern Lebanon on Saturday. The Israeli military said the operations followed Hezbollah rocket fire overnight at Israeli troops in territory occupied by Israel since March.
The fighting punctured a truce announced only a day earlier and threatened to derail the preliminary peace deal between the United States and Iran.
Hezbollah said it remained committed to the cease-fire but would not tolerate attempts by Israel to seize additional territory or expand its occupation.
Israeli officials, meanwhile, maintained they would continue operations in what they call the “security zone,” a stretch of territory extending more than six miles into Lebanon.
Analysts warned that with both sides claiming a right to strike, any attack could quickly escalate and once again imperil peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
The Lebanese military said one of its soldiers had been killed in an Israeli strike and accused Israel of seeking to “obstruct any solution” that could restore stability in Lebanon.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident.
The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah reached a grim milestone when Lebanon’s health ministry announced that more than 4,000 people had been killed, a toll roughly equal to that of the previous war that ended in 2024.
Diplomatic efforts continue amid Hormuz tensions
U.S. Central Command said 55 commercial ships had transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the highest daily figure since Iran first closed the waterway early in the war, though still well below the prewar average of 130 ships per day.
The command said U.S. forces remained in the area “to support freedom of navigation.”
Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed that technical-level talks involving the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar would be held in Switzerland on Sunday.
The statement came after Iran’s military command announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and as Pakistan’s interior minister met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran.
The naval arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warned that ships approaching the strait could face security risks.
Iran’s negotiating team later departed for Switzerland, according to state media.
Vice President JD Vance said Pakistan and Qatar were expected to participate in the talks and expressed confidence that negotiations were progressing.
He also said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had already arrived in Switzerland and were working on technical aspects of the negotiations.
“Things are going well,” Vance said.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed that diplomats from various countries were continuing efforts to advance implementation of the U.S.-Iran agreement, though it declined to identify participants.
U.S. intelligence doubts Israel will halt operations
U.S. intelligence officials do not expect Israel to halt strikes against Hezbollah despite the cease-fire deal between Washington and Tehran.
According to a recent intelligence assessment, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to continue military action because of domestic pressure and concerns over Hezbollah’s continued attacks on northern Israel.
American intelligence agencies believe Israel could continue such operations even if they complicate negotiations between Iran and the United States over Iran’s nuclear programme and a broader peace settlement.
The cease-fire agreement remains unpopular in Israel, where critics argue it fails to address Iran’s missile programme, requires U.S. forces to leave the region and restricts Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
Although Israel is not a signatory to the accord, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said his country had committed to an immediate cease-fire and halted offensive operations in Lebanon while maintaining forces in southern Lebanon.
U.S. intelligence assessments nevertheless indicate scepticism that such commitments will hold.
Vice President Vance publicly criticised members of Netanyahu’s government who had attacked the United States or President Trump over the cease-fire agreement.
“Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time, and he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower,” Vance said.
Khamenei distances self from agreement
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has distanced himself from the agreement with the United States while making clear that Iranian negotiators have little room to grant concessions.
In comments issued late Thursday, Khamenei said he had approved the deal but did not agree with signing it “as a matter of principle.”
He said he authorised the agreement because President Masoud Pezeshkian accepted responsibility for it and pledged to protect the rights of Iranians and the “resistance front,” a likely reference to Hezbollah.
Khamenei praised Iranian diplomats but criticised President Trump, saying he had entered the agreement “out of desperation.”
Analysts said the supreme leader’s comments appeared designed to shift responsibility for the agreement onto Iran’s elected government while limiting negotiators’ flexibility in future talks.
Senior Iranian officials subsequently expressed support for Khamenei’s position, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warning that Iran would respond forcefully if faced with what it considers excessive demands.
Deal could transform Iran’s economy
Despite the devastation caused by the 16-week war, analysts say Iran’s long-term economic prospects could improve significantly if the agreement with the United States holds.
The deal could eventually end decades of sanctions on Iranian oil exports and financial transactions, release billions of dollars in frozen assets and create a $300 billion reconstruction and development fund backed by regional countries.
The agreement also opens the possibility of Iran establishing a new revenue stream linked to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Experts say lifting financial sanctions could have a greater impact than increased oil revenues by allowing Iranian businesses and individuals to reconnect with global markets.
However, economists caution that substantial challenges remain, including war damage, years of underinvestment, corruption, inflation, unemployment and economic mismanagement.
Over the next 60 days, negotiators are expected to work towards a final agreement while implementing confidence-building measures, including reopening trade routes and easing restrictions on Iranian oil exports.
Analysts say the success of the process will depend not only on diplomacy but also on the willingness of Iran’s leadership to pursue meaningful economic reforms.
The New York Times