Iran says it closed Strait of Hormuz over Israeli strikes in Lebanon; US says strait remains open
Anyone moving oil through the Gulf faces fresh disruption: Iran's military says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz over Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, calling them a truce breach. US VP JD Vance says the strait stays open. US-Iran talks open Sunday in Switzerland.
Anyone moving energy or cargo through the Persian Gulf is facing fresh uncertainty after Iran's military command announced it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, the channel through which a large share of the world's seaborne oil passes. Tehran tied the move to Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, which it described as a violation of the recently brokered US agreement. Those strikes landed less than a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was announced, and both sides have already accused each other of breaking it. The picture is contested. While Iran's high command says the waterway is shut, US Vice President JD Vance has stated that the strait remains open, leaving shippers and energy markets to weigh competing official claims about whether traffic is actually being blocked. The diplomatic track is moving in parallel. Technical talks to implement the interim US-Iran deal are set to begin Sunday in Switzerland, with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner already reported on the ground.