THE MIND OF THE PEOPLE – Iran says it will close the Strait of Hormuz again after a wave of Israeli attacks on Lebanon. This statement was conveyed by the Central Headquarters of Khatam Al-Anbiya, Tehran’s highest joint military command, Saturday (20/6/2026).
Quoting The Guardian, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC warned ships not to approach this strategic shipping lane, citing Israeli crimes in Lebanon and US violations of its commitment to establishing a ceasefire.
Khatam Al-Anbiya stated that the decision was taken following a breach of commitment and trust through the non-implementation of Article 1 of the 14-point memorandum of understanding signed last week.
The headquarters also emphasized that if Israel continues its attacks, Iran will take additional steps to force the relevant parties to fulfill their obligations in the peace deal.
It is not yet clear whether this threat has actually been implemented, or whether this step will jeopardize follow-up talks in Switzerland which are scheduled to take place on Sunday (21/6/2026).
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The talks should begin the process of turning the interim agreement between the US and Iran signed last Wednesday (17/6/2026) into a more detailed agreement covering Tehran’s nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump immediately insisted there would be no charges against ships crossing the strait during or after the 60-day temporary ceasefire period.
But in a social media post on Saturday, Trump also raised the possibility that the US would impose tariffs if negotiations failed. US Central Command denied the strait, which according to a temporary agreement must remain open, had been closed.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains so,” US Navy spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told Reuters.
US Vice President JD Vance landed in Switzerland on Sunday to take part in negotiations. “I can only be there for a day or two. I think we will make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue,” he said.
Pakistan, the main mediator, said the talks would continue, and reports from Tehran said a delegation of high-ranking Iranian officials had left to participate in the negotiations.***
