WASHINGTON — U.S. officials disputed Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed, as negotiators from both countries prepared for peace talks in Switzerland on Sunday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the strategic waterway shut on Saturday, citing alleged violations of a recent ceasefire agreement by Israel and the United States, according to Iranian state media. The announcement came days after a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at de-escalating tensions, including a 60-day ceasefire period.
U.S. Central Command stated that commercial shipping continued through the strait, with about 55 merchant vessels transiting on Saturday. Vice President JD Vance, en route to the talks in Switzerland, also affirmed that the waterway remained open.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, is vital for global oil transport. Prior to recent conflicts, it handled roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil. Traffic had been gradually increasing following the recent agreement but remains below pre-conflict levels.
The Iranian declaration followed renewed clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which Tehran described as a breach of the broader ceasefire commitments. Iranian officials said the closure was a response to those developments and warned of further measures if aggression continued.
U.S. officials rejected the Iranian position. “There is no evidence that Iran had closed the Strait of Hormuz,” Vance said in an interview, according to reports. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that no tolls would be imposed during the 60-day ceasefire period and suggested potential U.S. involvement in any future toll arrangements only if imposed by the United States.
The developments tested the fragile agreement signed earlier this month, which included provisions for reopening the strait toll-free for 60 days, pausing certain blockades and sanctions, and setting the stage for further negotiations.
Details of any actual disruptions to shipping remained unclear as of Saturday evening. U.S. military officials maintained that vessels continued to operate in the waterway despite the Iranian statement.
Negotiators were set to begin talks in a Swiss resort on Sunday amid the renewed tensions. The outcome of those discussions could determine whether the interim ceasefire holds or unravels.
The U.S. and Iran had agreed to the memorandum following months of conflict that included U.S. and Israeli actions against Iranian targets and Iranian responses affecting shipping in the region.
