Iran closes Strait of Hormuz as negotiators head to Switzerland; Trump threatens toll if no deal in 60 days

Strait closure and Trump's toll threat

Iran's joint military command announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, citing Israeli attacks in Lebanon and what it called "bad faith" by the United States in failing to stop the war. State television warned that "if aggression continues, further measures have been planned." Shortly afterward, President Trump threatened on social media to impose tolls on the critical waterway unless a final agreement is reached within 60 days, describing the money as compensation for "services rendered as Guardian Angel to Middle Eastern countries." The provisional deal signed in Islamabad on 17 June allowed toll-free transit for 60 days, a detail his post underscored.

The only way to be tougher is if I stay there two or three more weeks and keep bombing non-stop, if I am right. But what would we achieve with that? The Strait of Hormuz would not open. The big difference is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. Never will they have a nuclear weapon.

The U.S. rejected Iran's control claims. CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins stated that traffic continued and U.S. forces were monitoring the situation. The Pentagon reported that 55 commercial vessels transited the strait on Saturday, the highest single-day count since the war began, though still well below the pre-war average of roughly 130 daily transits.

Talks set for Sunday in Bürgenstock

Pakistan, the key mediator, confirmed on Saturday that technical-level talks between the U.S. and Iran would begin on Sunday, 21 June, at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, with Qatari mediators also present. This follows the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in Islamabad on 17 June. The Iranian delegation includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and officials from the central bank and oil sector, indicating the economic dimensions of the negotiations, which also cover unfreezing Iranian assets.

Fragile Lebanon truce

A new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, backed by Iran, was reached on Friday but appeared close to collapse within a day. Lebanese state media reported fresh Israeli bombardments in the south, while the Israeli army accused Hezbollah of violations. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the trip was primarily to demand compliance with the initial deal, and that negotiations toward a final accord would begin only once key commitments were honored.

This trip, therefore, is about demanding that the other party meet its obligations. If not, then the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be compromised.

Delegations on the ground

U.S. Vice President JD Vance travelled to Switzerland on Saturday, stating he could stay only one or two days. Two senior envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were already in place handling technical aspects. Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi arrived in Zurich on Saturday, while also holding a meeting in Tehran with Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

I can only be there one or two days. We hope to advance the nuclear issue and the ceasefire in Lebanon. Those are the two big issues we are going to focus on.

Two-month window

The broader agreement opens a two-month period for resolving the most complex issues, including Iran's nuclear programme and the unblocking of frozen funds. However, Iran's insistence that the U.S. first halt Israel's military operations in Lebanon, and Trump's public threat to turn the Strait of Hormuz into a tolled passage, leave the entire diplomatic framework highly precarious.