By Arsalan Shahla and Alex Longley Jun 20, 2026 (Bloomberg) – Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic, citing a ceasefire violation by Israel. This move occurs as Iran sends a team to Swi...
By Arsalan Shahla and Alex Longley
Jun 20, 2026 (Bloomberg) – Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic, citing a ceasefire violation by Israel. This move occurs as Iran sends a team to Switzerland for potential peace talks with the US.
According to Iran’s joint military command, this closure is a direct response to Israel's ongoing attacks in southern Lebanon, as reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Saturday.
The negotiations for a lasting peace agreement with the US had already been postponed due to escalating violence in Lebanon. The discussions, which were scheduled for Friday in Switzerland, were delayed because of clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants supported by Iran.
This week, Iran insisted on a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of the interim peace deal with the US. Their delegation to the talks was also delayed due to the new hostilities. On Saturday, Iranian state TV announced that officials were making their way to Switzerland for discussions with the US.
Vice President JD Vance, who was supposed to be in Switzerland on Friday, is still in Washington. In an interview on Fox News on Saturday, he expressed optimism about being able to travel to Switzerland in “the next couple of days.”
“I am very confident we can maintain the ceasefire,” he stated. “We’re going to give this negotiation a chance.”