Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and a new date for US-Iran negotiations

US-Iran talks: Washington denies continued closure of Strait, Tehran links energy flow to implementation of understandings.. Pakistan announces new round of negotiations

The divergence between the United States and Iran continues regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz and the mechanisms for implementing recent understandings between the two sides, as international parties prepare for a new round of technical talks in Switzerland early next week, amid differences in assessing the field situation of the vital waterway for global energy supplies.

These developments come days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, which stipulated the cessation of military operations and the resumption of navigation in the strait, as the Israeli military continues its strikes on Lebanon, threatening the stability of regional understandings.

Washington: No indications of continued closure of Strait of Hormuz

US Vice President JD Vance said the United States has no indications that Iran is still closing the Strait of Hormuz, noting that mine-clearance operations in the area may take some time.

Vance added in an interview with Fox News that Washington will give an opportunity to the negotiating track with Iran, expressing confidence in the ability to maintain the ceasefire agreement and related understandings despite regional tensions.

The US Central Command confirmed that navigation in the strait “remained safe,” and that 55 commercial ships transited the vital waterway, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets.

It indicated that US forces remain “present and vigilant” to ensure compliance with the agreement with Iran, as Vance clarified that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner have already arrived at the negotiation site in Switzerland, expecting talks to be held in the coming days.

Tehran: Energy flow linked to agreement implementation

In contrast, Iranian Supreme Leader’s adviser Mohammad Mokhber said that energy flow in the Middle East will remain halted unless the understandings with the United States are fully implemented, considering that the agreement “remains ink on paper.”

Mokhber added in a post on the X platform that Iranian negotiators are committed to full implementation of obligations and restoration of rights related to the agreement, referring to recent understandings between the two sides, stressing that “our negotiators will not accept less than full implementation of commitments and fulfillment of the people’s rights.”

His remarks came after a previous announcement by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps about re-closing the Strait of Hormuz to ship traffic, in response to the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon, according to an official statement.

Tehran accused Washington of a “clear violation of the promise” contained in the first clause of the memorandum of understanding, which stipulates “the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.”

آمریکایی‌ها زبان اقتصاد و هزینه-فایده را بهتر می‌فهمند.
وقتی توافق روی کاغذ بماند، جریان انرژی خاورمیانه هم متوقف می‌ماند.
مذاکره‌کنندگان ما جز با اجرای کامل تعهدات و استیفای حقوق ملت راضی نمی‌شوند.
اگرچه خون تک تک شهدا، امام شهید و کودکان میناب را نه می‌بخشیم نه فراموش می‌کنیم.

— محمد مخبر (@MokhberOfficial) June 20, 2026

Pakistan announces date for technical talks in Switzerland

In a related development, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry announced that technical talks between the United States and Iran will be held on June 21 in Burgenscheck, Switzerland, with representatives from both countries participating along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar.

The ministry said the talks come as a continuation of a path of previous understandings, which included a framework for ending the military conflict and setting a timeline for broader negotiations on Iran’s nuclear file.

The talks between the two sides were originally scheduled for last Friday in Switzerland, but were postponed after Israeli strikes in Lebanon, as continued fighting disrupted the negotiating track. The Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed it continues to provide a “discreet and reliable framework” for the talks, with diplomats from several countries remaining in contact to maintain dialogue.

The agreement and recent understandings

These developments come after Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18, which included a cessation of military operations, reopening maritime passages, and resuming navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, along with launching a negotiating track on Iran’s nuclear program over a 60-day period. Previous data indicates that Washington and Tehran are working to establish phased arrangements including guaranteeing oil flow through the strait, in exchange for completing political and security negotiations in Switzerland.

Sources in the US administration, according to CNN, revealed that President Donald Trump sought to end the war with Iran as quickly as possible due to its negative impact on the global economy and his electoral popularity.

The sources indicated that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright were among the most prominent supporters of ending the war, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth were among the more skeptical officials regarding Iran’s readiness to fulfill understandings.

Tension in Lebanon threatens regional understandings

Iran’s announcement of closing the strait came a day after Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire with US-Qatari mediation, which went into effect on Friday but quickly faced mutual violations. Lebanese reports said at least 28 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Saturday, including a Lebanese army soldier.

The Israeli and Lebanese sides are exchanging accusations over responsibility for the violations, with Hezbollah saying Israel committed more than 300 violations of the agreement since Friday, while Israel denies this and holds the group responsible for the tensions. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered a halt to fire in southern Lebanon after a situation assessment, according to the Israeli website Walla, in an attempt to contain the escalation that threatens the path of understandings with Iran.

The sources concluded that continued fighting in Lebanon, previously viewed as a secondary front in the war against Iran, has become one of the main obstacles to ending the conflict, putting the agreement before an early test of its ability to contain regional tensions and curb Israeli behavior.

The Strait of Hormuz remains at the forefront of tensions between Washington and Tehran, amid differences in interpreting the implementation of understandings, while attention turns to the upcoming Switzerland talks as a crucial station in testing the stability of current arrangements between the two sides, at a time when the Lebanese front remains a key factor threatening the sustainability of regional de-escalation.