Iran to close Hormuz, Vance expects talks soon

Iran’s military on Saturday declared to close the Strait of Hormuz over Israel’s attacks on southern Lebanon that have killed at least 32 people since dawn.

The US Vice President JD Vance says he is expecting to travel to Switzerland for Iran talks within days.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy warned ships not to approach the waterway, which Iran had committed to reopening under the interim peace deal signed this week. It said in a statement that vessels’ safety would be at risk if they did so, reports NBC News.

Iran’s top joint military command said the ⁠closure was the “first step” in response to breaches of ⁠commitments by the US and Israel, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.

In a statement on X that did not acknowledge the apparent closure, US Central Command said that 55 merchant ships transited the strait on Saturday, “moving large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets.”

Iran and the US have both shown frustration with Israel for continuing to strike Lebanon despite the deal signed this week, which specified that fighting must end on all fronts, including Lebanon. Though Israel was not a direct party to that deal, Iran has warned that it would consider Israeli strikes a violation of the terms.

Early Saturday, Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people, including two children, according to Lebanese civil defense and media, one day after the US said Israel and Hezbollah had implemented a fresh ceasefire at President Donald Trump’s request. 

Israel hit a series of towns across Lebanon’s south early Saturday, Lebanese news agency NNA reported. An airstrike on the town of Arabsalim reportedly killed three people, the agency reported, and a drone strike on the town of Deir al-Zahrani reportedly killed one person. At least seven people remain trapped under the rubble, it said. Lebanon’s army said a soldier was killed between Kfar Rumman and Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.

A previous wave of strikes on Friday killed 83 people, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said.