US-Iran talks begin amid announcement of Strait of Hormuz closure

US-Iran talks are set to begin in Switzerland despite Iran’s military (IRGC) claiming to have closed the Strait of Hormuz following an Israeli attack on southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, the US has denied the claim and said that navigation in the strait is operating normally. BBC News.
US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland early Sunday (June 21) to participate in direct talks. Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibof and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the country on Saturday night.
Along with Iranian and US representatives, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the country’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir are participating in the talks. The country is playing a mediatory role in the ongoing crisis and hosted previous talks. Their Foreign Ministry said that Pakistan will continue to cooperate in implementing the agreement between Iran and the US.
US Vice President JD Vance said the talks were aimed at making progress on the nuclear issue and implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon. Referring to Lebanon, he said the regional situation there is gradually stabilizing, but it requires continuous management to keep the entire region safe and secure.
On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said they will demand that the other side fulfill their commitments in the talks. Earlier this week, a preliminary agreement was signed between the US and Iran, which aims to implement a ceasefire in various regions, including Lebanon. There are plans to move towards a final agreement within the next 60 days.
However, the actual situation has become complicated due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. According to the country’s Health Ministry, at least 47 people have been killed in recent attacks in Lebanon. In this regard, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that they had struck 80 Hezbollah targets and killed dozens of members. At the same time, they also reported the death of four of their soldiers.
Meanwhile, as the exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah continues, the IRGC has demanded the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to them, the United States has violated the agreement by not implementing the first article of the 14-point memorandum of understanding. According to this article, military operations in all theaters, including Lebanon, were supposed to cease immediately and permanently. On the other hand, the United States says that Iran alone is not capable of closing the strait and that shipping traffic there still continues.