Fresh diplomacy over the Middle East war is about to get under way in Switzerland, where Iranian negotiators and US Vice President JD Vance have arrived as Tehran again declared the Strait of Hormuz closed in response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
Speaking before departing for Europe, Mr Vance said he was aiming to “make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue.
“Those are the two big things that I think we’re going to be focused on,” he said.
Further talks had been due to take place in Switzerland on Friday, but they were abruptly delayed after Israel carried out deadly strikes in Lebanon following the deaths of four of its soldiers in combat.
Accusing the US of a “breach of contract” and condemning what it called “the Zionist regime’s continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon”, Iran’s central military command said “the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic”.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important routes for oil and gas shipments, had been largely blockaded by Iran throughout the war, rattling energy markets across the globe.
Iran later agreed to reopen the passage under the preliminary accord signed by US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, and shipping had started to rebound.
US Vice President JD Vance heads to Switzerland for the latest round of talks
After Iran’s announcement, US Central Command said safe passage through the international waterway had “remained intact” and that American forces were “present and vigilant”.
President Trump later warned that Washington could levy its own tolls on the route if negotiators failed to finalise an agreement.
There would be no tolls “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America”, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.
An Iranian delegation reached Switzerland last night, according to state media and the Swiss foreign ministry.
Iran’s official broadcaster said the team included parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the delegation would “demand implementation of the other party’s commitments” under the deal.
“Otherwise, the entire understanding will be in trouble,” he said, according to official news agency IRNA.
Mr Vance arrived in Switzerland this morning after leaving Washington last night to take part in the talks.
The US vice president said he could remain only “a day or two”.
US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already on the ground managing “some of the technical elements” and had reported that “things are going well”, Mr Vance said in an interview with Fox News yesterday.
Pakistan, acting as a mediator and whose interior minister was reportedly in Iran yesterday for meetings with officials, said “technical-level talks” are scheduled for today in Burgenstock, Switzerland, with Pakistani and Qatari mediators joining US and Iranian representatives.
Israel and Hezbollah trade blame as fighting continues in southern Lebanon
The negotiations are intended to launch a two-month period of talks over issues left unsettled by the initial accord, most notably Iran’s nuclear programme.
Even so, Israel and Hezbollah have continued to accuse each other of violations as fighting persisted in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said one soldier was killed in combat, the fifth such death since the US-Iran deal was struck.
An Israeli army official later said the military had been ordered by the country’s political leadership to cease fire, adding that troops were “not conducting proactive strikes” and were operating defensively inside a security zone.
Earlier, an Israeli military official said new attacks were under way after Hezbollah “launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon” overnight.
Hezbollah accused Israel of carrying out, “under the cover of the ceasefire … an infiltration attempt towards the Ali Taher hills”, a strategic high point overlooking Nabatieh.
The militant group said its fighters had responded “with appropriate weapons”.
Lebanese state media reported Israeli air raids on about 20 locations, while authorities said more than 30 people had been killed.
The health ministry said the overall death toll from the fighting in Lebanon had passed 4,000.
Hezbollah politician Hassan Fadlallah said the group retained “the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us”.
Israel’s US ambassador Yechiel Leiter insisted Hezbollah had broken the truce, saying Israel was “defending itself against terrorist attacks”.
But Hezbollah said Israel bore “full responsibility”.
Fadi Zayat, who fled the southern Lebanon town of Tayr Debba, told AFP that “fear dominates” the south.
“We returned to the village a few days ago, but our bags are ready to flee again,” the 53-year-old said.
Hezbollah drew Lebanon deeper into the wider Middle East conflict in early March when it fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.
A previous ceasefire meant to begin in Lebanon in April never held, with both sides justifying renewed attacks by pointing to alleged violations by the other.
