Iran Closes Hormuz Strait as Negotiators Head to Switzerland

Iran's Joint Military Command announced on Saturday that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz for all vessels, saying Israel's strikes in southern Lebanon violated the newly signed 14-point U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, and the U.S. failed to implement the tentative agreement. Iran briefly opened the strategic waterway after U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Massoud Pazeshkian signed the agreement on June 17, which started 60-day negotiations aiming at destroying Iran's enriched uranium stockpile. However, the negotiations in Switzerland were postponed due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. White House envoys Steve Whitkoff and Jared Kushner are in Switzerland, where the first round of talks with Iran on a potential nuclear deal is expected to take place on Sunday, Axios reported, citing U.S. officials. Iran also sent its delegation to Switzerland, despite the alleged violations of the tentative agreement, saying it hopes to impress their U.S. counterparts the need to fulfill the Memorandum of Understanding.