Iran’s Hormuz Threat Exposes a New Pressure Point in Talks with Washington

Iran announced Saturday evening that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important shipping lane, citing what it described as U.S. breaches of a memorandum of understanding signed this week and the continuation of fighting in Lebanon. Tehran said the first clause of the deal required a ceasefire on all fronts, and accused Washington of failing to force Israel to stop operations in Lebanon. The announcement came only hours before an Iranian delegation departed for Switzerland.

Washington rejected the claim that the strait had been shut. U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said, “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” and said maritime traffic continued normally. He said 55 commercial vessels crossed the strait during the day and carried more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets. The U.S. military said it was monitoring developments to protect freedom of navigation and implement the agreement.

Vice President J.D. Vance also said he saw no evidence the strait had actually been closed, and noted that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were already in Switzerland preparing for talks. Vance said he expected to join the negotiations in the coming days. The Iranian delegation is being led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with senior officials from the security establishment, the central bank and the energy sector.

Behind the rhetoric, U.S. intelligence assessments cited by CNN said Iran has developed the ability during the war to effectively close access to Hormuz whenever it chooses. One source said Iran now effectively controls the strait, calling it “a weapon stronger than any nuclear bomb.” Another said the conflict taught Tehran that strikes on energy infrastructure and trade routes are an especially effective asymmetric tool. President Donald Trump separately said the memorandum allows toll-free passage through the strait for 60 days only, after which the U.S. could consider imposing its own fees if no final deal is reached.