US rejects Iran’s Strait of Hormuz closure claim as peace talks open in Switzerland
ZURICH/DUBAI/WASHINGTON: US and Iranian negotiators were set to begin talks in Switzerland on Sunday aimed at advancing a fragile ceasefire and laying the groundwork for a broader agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and regional security, even as the two sides clashed over Tehran’s claim that it had closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The negotiations follow an interim agreement brokered by Pakistan and signed this week by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, ending nearly four months of conflict between Washington and Tehran and providing a 60-day window for further diplomacy.
Dispute over key shipping route
Tensions rose ahead of the talks after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and military officials announced that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed in response to what Tehran described as Israeli violations of ceasefire commitments in Lebanon.
