Iran says Strait of Hormuz is closed, citing Israeli attacks in Lebanon

Iran’s military declared Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz is closed due to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, The Associated Press reported citing Iranian state media, on the eve of detailed talks about a long-term peace deal.

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U.S. Central Command countered shortly afterward that commercial ship traffic in the strait actually increased Saturday “as U.S. forces continued operating in the general area to support freedom of navigation.”

Iran blamed Israel for violating a freshly announced ceasefire with Hezbollah by continuing to attack targets in Lebanon. The Israeli military, in turn, accused the Tehran-backed militia of breaking the terms first.

The conflicting statements about the crucial maritime chokepoint and the state of play in Lebanon come as U.S. and Iran officials head to Switzerland to dig into specifics after landing a much-trumpeted but general memorandum of understanding earlier this week.

Access to the Strait of Hormuz has been a major point of leverage for Iran in the war. Iran agreed to reopen the strait to commercial vessels as part of the memorandum of understanding with the U.S., and its closure is a development that U.S. officials had feared amid ongoing talks.

Vice President JD Vance said on Fox News early Saturday that there was no evidence that the strait remains closed, though he acknowledged that mines in the waterway may continue to affect commercial routes. It’s unclear if Vance was aware of the latest reporting on the strait during his interview.

Vance said special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have been on the ground in Switzerland “for a few hours dealing with some of the technical elements” regarding talks on implementation of the memo.

Vance said he expects he’ll be leaving to join them “some time the next couple days.”