Iran announced on Saturday that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow channel through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes — citing what it called a "clear breach of commitments" by Washington: the failure to end Israel's military campaign in Lebanon. The move was designed to send a blunt message hours before a high-level Iranian delegation boarded a flight to Switzerland for technical talks with American negotiators. The delegation, which includes parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and senior central bank and oil officials, is set to discuss the terms of an interim nuclear agreement that had promised both sides a 60-day window. That deal offered billions of dollars in unfrozen Iranian assets in exchange for a halt to fighting across the region.

Tehran's warning was stark: if those conditions are not met, "the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. Washington pushed back sharply on the closure. Captain Tim Hawkins of US Central Command stated that Iran does not, in fact, control the strait, and that 55 merchant vessels transited on Saturday alone, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil. President Donald Trump escalated the pressure further, threatening to impose American tolls on Hormuz traffic if a final nuclear deal is not reached within 60 days, describing the charge as payment for US services as the region's "Guardian Angel.

" US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland and expected Vance himself to follow within days. Pakistan, which has played a quiet but significant mediating role — Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Araghchi in Islamabad before the delegation departed — confirmed that formal talks would begin Sunday, with Qatar also at the table.