Iran on Saturday announced that it had shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but very important sea passage in the Middle East. This step was taken as a reaction to Israel’s continuing attacks inside Lebanon. To understand why this matters, the Strait of Hormuz is like a small gate in the ocean through which a huge portion of the world’s oil ships pass every single day. If this gate closes, oil supply to many countries can get disturbed, and petrol prices everywhere can rise.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Iran warned that even though its negotiators were travelling to Switzerland for talks with the United States, real progress would be difficult unless the fighting stopped first. Iran’s joint military command said it closed the Strait because the United States did not keep its promise to help end the war, calling it a clear violation of their temporary agreement. That temporary deal was originally meant to stop the fighting on all sides.
US President Donald Trump responded sharply. He warned that if a final agreement with Iran is not reached within sixty days, America could start charging tolls, meaning fees, on ships passing through the Strait. He explained these charges as payment for the security America provides to Middle Eastern countries, even describing the US as their “Guardian Angel.” For now, though, Trump confirmed that ships can travel freely through the route without paying any toll for sixty days.
These statements made it clear that the upcoming technical-level talks between the two countries may begin on a shaky note. Pakistan, which is playing an important role as a mediator (a neutral party that helps two fighting sides talk), said the discussions would start on Sunday, 21st June, with Qatar also joining as a mediator. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi even met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran to help restart direct talks.
Soon after, Iranian state television reported that the negotiating team had left for Switzerland. This visit was first planned for Friday, 19th June, but was delayed. The team includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and senior officials from the central bank and oil sector. Importantly, the agreement also includes a promise to release Iran’s frozen assets, meaning money that was earlier blocked abroad would now become available to Iran again. US Vice President JD Vance also flew to Switzerland for these talks.
Interestingly, the United States rejected Iran’s claim that the Strait was actually closed. Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said Iran does not control this waterway, ships are still passing normally, and American forces are watching the area closely. He gave proof too: on Saturday, 20th June, fifty-five merchant ships safely crossed the area, carrying more than seventeen million barrels of oil. This shows that, on the ground, traffic was still moving despite Iran’s announcement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei added a strong condition. He said talks on a final agreement will begin only after all important promises are fulfilled. If these are not honoured, he warned, the entire memorandum of understanding (a written record of mutual promises, often called an MoU) could collapse and fail completely.
The deeper problem lies in Lebanon. A Hezbollah official said Iran told the group it would not reopen the Strait until Israel publicly agrees to a full ceasefire in Lebanon and officially ends its military operations there. Hezbollah said it too would respect a ceasefire if Israel stopped firing. Later, an Israeli military official confirmed that the army had received fresh orders from political leaders to stop firing and observe a ceasefire, though Israel still reserves the right to respond if attacked. He added that five Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon in just forty-eight hours.
Sadly, the violence has not fully stopped. Earlier on Saturday, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least sixteen people, including two children, even after ceasefire reports appeared. Strikes near Nabatiyeh left seven people trapped under rubble. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the death toll in this latest conflict has now crossed four thousand people. In Barish village, four members of one family, including both parents and their two children, were killed. Drone strikes in other areas killed a motorcyclist and a Lebanese soldier, while nine more people died across several villages.
In the coastal city of Tyre, Israeli jets flew low, reminding residents the war was not over. One resident, Hussein Khoshman, said a ceasefire would completely change lives for the better. But in northern Israel, Miriam Hod from Metula said she does not believe peace will come, because it does not feel real yet. As SCMP noted, the deal marked a breakthrough but still left many key questions unanswered.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
First published on: Jun 21, 2026 05:45 PM IST
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