Hormuz Pressure Tactic? Iran Keeps Strait Shut Ahead Of Talks With US In Switzerland

Last Updated:June 21, 2026, 14:43 IST

Qatari and Pakistani officials are acting as mediators in the negotiations, while Swiss diplomats are facilitating dialogue at the venue.

Iran on Sunday said that the Strait of Hormuz “remains closed and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy will not issue passage permits until further notice", Fars news agency reported, citing unnamed “military sources".

The report comes as US and Iranian negotiating teams prepare to meet in Switzerland for the first face-to-face talks since the signing of the memorandum of understanding.

The strait has emerged as a key point of tension in recent days, with Iran’s military command stating on Saturday that it has been closed again. It said the move was in response to what it described as the US’s “clear breach of its commitments" for failing to end Israel’s war on Lebanon.

US, Iran Begin Switzerland Talks

A high-stakes diplomatic summit involving the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan began on Sunday at the Burgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, as negotiators aim to build on the recently signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) intended to end months of conflict in West Asia.

According to exclusive details, top leaders and senior officials from all four countries are expected to take part in the discussions. The talks are likely to focus on a 60-day roadmap for addressing the wider Middle East crisis, implementing the ceasefire framework and advancing work on a future nuclear agreement.

Qatari and Pakistani officials are acting as mediators in the negotiations, while Swiss diplomats are facilitating dialogue at the venue.

The negotiations are being held amid rising disagreement over the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has claimed control over the strategic waterway, linking its position to what it described as repeated ceasefire violations connected to Israeli military actions in Lebanon. The United States has rejected these claims.

US President Donald Trump has warned that American tolls could be imposed in the shipping lane if a final agreement is not reached within 60 days.

Iran has, in turn, tied developments in the strait to the implementation of ceasefire commitments.

US Central Command has stated that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz and said that commercial traffic continues to move through the route.

Iranian officials have indicated that progress toward a final agreement will depend on the implementation of commitments already made under the interim accord.

Ahead of the talks, Ghalibaf invoked the memory of victims of the Minab school incident.

In a post on X, he said, “I consider the innocent children of Minab and all the martyrs of dear Iran to be watching over my every action and behaviour at every moment."

The talks are aimed at detailing the preliminary accord signed earlier this week by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Negotiators have been given 60 days to work toward a broader nuclear agreement while maintaining a fragile ceasefire framework across the region.

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