Negotiators from the United States and Iran are set to begin peace talks in Switzerland on Sunday, as a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz threatens to complicate a fragile ceasefire.
Iranian state media said a high-level delegation had arrived in Switzerland for talks with U.S. officials. U.S. Vice President JD Vance has also left Washington for the meetings, which Pakistan said would begin on Sunday.
The talks follow a 60-day ceasefire agreed by Washington and Tehran as part of an interim deal brokered by Pakistan and signed on Wednesday by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
But tensions rose on Saturday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the Strait of Hormuz had been closed. The U.S. military disputed the claim, saying commercial vessels continued to move through the waterway.
U.S. Central Command said 55 merchant ships passed through the strait on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets. It said U.S. forces would ensure commercial traffic continued.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important routes for oil and gas shipments, and any disruption could have a significant impact on global energy markets.
The IRGC said ships would be at risk if they approached the strait, accusing Israel of violating ceasefire commitments in Lebanon. Iran says the interim agreement includes a ceasefire “on all fronts”, including Lebanon.
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, accused the U.S. of failing to implement the first clause of the 14-point deal. He said Middle East energy flows would remain halted as long as the agreement existed only “on paper”.
The Lebanon ceasefire also appeared fragile, with Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah accusing each other of attacks.
Lebanon’s Civil Defence said 20 people were killed by Israeli strikes on Saturday, hours after the truce took effect. Israel said it was responding to Hezbollah attacks, while Hezbollah said it would not allow Israel “freedom of movement” in Lebanon.
Israel says it is not a party to the U.S.-Iran deal and will keep its forces in the Lebanese territory it occupies. The Israeli military said it remained committed to the ceasefire but would act against any threat to Israel or its forces.
The Iranian delegation is led by chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, as well as senior security, central bank and oil officials, Iranian media reported.
The U.S. team includes Vice President Vance, envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir are also expected to attend the weekend sessions.
Vance told Fox News he was confident the ceasefire would hold and said he had seen no evidence that the Strait of Hormuz was closed.
Speaking before leaving for Switzerland, he said negotiators were expected to hold a “couple days of talks”.
“I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue,” he said.
The negotiations are expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear programme, the Lebanon ceasefire and the future of the interim agreement, as both sides seek to prevent a return to open conflict.
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Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to ships again, citing alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel. Lebanon has said Israeli strikes killed 16 people on Saturday.
The United States is working with Qatar on a plan that could give Iran access to billions of dollars in frozen funds for humanitarian purchases, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
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