Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic on June 20-21, 2026, timing the move to coincide with the start of high-level US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland. Roughly 20% of global oil traffic passes through that narrow waterway.
The talks kicked off June 21 at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, with Vice President JD Vance leading the US delegation. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the closure, and oil prices responded exactly the way you’d expect: up.
What’s happening at the table
Vance was joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Iran’s delegation included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with Pakistan and Qatar serving as mediators between the two sides.
The agenda covers four major items: preventing conflict escalation in Lebanon, nuclear deal negotiations, enforcement of an interim Memorandum of Understanding, and the operational status of the Strait of Hormuz itself. US officials reportedly stressed the importance of keeping maritime access open.
