Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters announced the immediate closure of the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic on Saturday, citing relentless Israeli military violations in southern Lebanon. The blockade occurs just 48 hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and U.S. President Donald Trump digitally signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a pact establishing a 60-day window to negotiate an end to the regional conflict and lift economic sanctions.
Despite the military escalation in the waterway, delegations from Washington and Tehran are scheduled to begin broader nuclear agreement negotiations in Switzerland on Sunday. U.S. Central Command disputed the total closure of the strait, asserting that a southern shipping route through Omani waters remains active.
The Iranian military command stated the closure was triggered by “continuous and relentless violations” of the recent ceasefire agreement. Regional officials confirmed Iran informed Lebanon’s Hezbollah that the waterway will not reopen until Israel publicly commits to a comprehensive ceasefire. The military announcement immediately heightened tensions ahead of the diplomatic summit.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed that American negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are already on the ground in Switzerland for the upcoming talks. However, Iran’s foreign ministry warned that the negotiations are actively jeopardized unless the ceasefire commitments are upheld. Following the blockade declaration, U.S. Central Command stated that 55 merchant vessels successfully transited the strait on Saturday. Global shipping monitors, including the Joint Maritime Information Center, are advising vessels to coordinate through the U.S.-backed southern route to avoid Iranian territorial waters.
President Trump reacted to the escalating situation by threatening financial retaliation if a final nuclear deal is not reached before the 60-day window expires. The U.S. president warned he would impose U.S. maritime tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, framing the proposed fees as financial reimbursement for American services acting as a “guardian angel” in the Middle East. The financial threat introduces a new economic ultimatum to the fragile diplomatic process.