US-Iran War Live: Pakistan says technical-level talks will begin Sunday in Switzerland
A general view shows rubble from buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes along the waterfront in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
US Vice President JD Vance said on Saturday he expects to go to Switzerland soon for talks with Iran, even as Tehran’s high command was reported as saying it would shut the Strait of Hormuz due to what it called US and Israeli truce violations. Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said the waterway, vital to global oil shipments, would be closed to vessel traffic, citing alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement by the US and Israel, Iran’s Mehr state news agency reported.
It said that the closure was the “first step” in response to what it described as breaches of commitments and warned that further measures would be taken if “aggression” continued. Iran’s joint military command said it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing Israeli attacks in Lebanon and US “bad faith” and “its clear breach of its commitments” by failing to end the war. The statement on state television also warned that “if the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned.” Ships had begun transiting the strait after the interim US-Iran agreement was signed earlier in the week. Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement. The persistent fighting threatened an interim agreement between the US and Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
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Switzerland talks delayed as diplomacy stalls
The continuing violence has already disrupted the next phase of diplomacy. Planned US-Iran talks in Switzerland were postponed after Iranian officials insisted that fighting in Lebanon must stop before negotiations could proceed. The interim agreement signed earlier this week reopened the Strait of Hormuz and launched a 60-day negotiating process on Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief and broader regional security issues. However, neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the accord, and both sides remain divided over the future of southern Lebanon.
Ceasefire faces first major test
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until all threats against Israel are eliminated, while Hezbollah maintains it will not halt attacks unless Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory. Meanwhile, Iran is preparing to lodge a complaint with FIFA over travel restrictions imposed on its World Cup team in the United States. With the Lebanon ceasefire still fragile and nuclear negotiations delayed, the coming days are expected to test whether the US-Iran agreement can evolve into a lasting peace deal or faces its first major setback.
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