U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland early Sunday for the next phase in negotiations with Iran, a day after Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again. "The U.S. delegation, led by U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, the Iranian delegation, led by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the mediators, Pakistan and Qatar, have arrived at the Bürgenstock," Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement . "Talks between the parties are set to begin during the course of the morning," the ministry added. Iran on Saturday warned vessels to stay away from the critical shipping route, but the U.S. denied those claims, stating the waterway remained open. Tensions between the two countries escalated just days after Tehran and Washington reached an interim agreement to end hostilities in the region. The announcement by Iran's military and the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps came as Iranian negotiators headed to Switzerland for technical-level talks with U.S. officials. Iran's joint military command said the closure of the strait was in response to continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon and what it described as U.S. "bad faith" and a failure to uphold commitments under the truce framework, AP reported. Iranian state television said "subsequent steps have been planned" if what it called aggression continues, according to multiple outlets. Earlier Saturday, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, AP reported, citing Lebanese authorities. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said seven people remained trapped beneath rubble in Nabatiyeh and nearby villages following the attacks, according to AP. The U.S. military said the Strait of Hormuz had not been closed, however, and added that U.S. forces were monitoring the situation to ensure that it remained open, Reuters reported. "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz," U.S. Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told Reuters. "Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case." President Donald Trump also indicated the administration considered the strait as open for traffic. He suggested the U.S. could begin charging ships to transit the Strait if the parties fail to convert the interim agreement into a final deal within 60 days. "There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed," he said in a Truth Social post late Saturday, claiming the charge would be for "services rendered." Iran's attempt to shut down the strait again raises the stakes ahead of the talks in Switzerland, which are intended to advance the interim agreement reached Wednesday between Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after nearly four months of war. The signed memorandum of understanding had called for the immediate end to military actions by Israel in Lebanon and the full reopening of the...
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