High-stakes US-Iran talks to begin in Switzerland as Tehran claims Strait of Hormuz is closed

Open discussions between the US and Iran are all set to begin in Switzerland, after Iran's announcement that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again due to continued Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.

According to Iran, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was a direct response to deadly Israeli strikes in Lebanon, which Tehran views as a violation of its recent agreement with the US to end the war.

Officials from the US and Iran will engage in negotiations by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the head of the country’s armed forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

The Pakistan of Foreign Affairs said in a statement ahead of the talks: “Pakistan will continue to support the implementation of the understandings between Iran and the United States.”

Speaking to the press before he was asked about clashes between Israel and Hezbollah and air strikes in southern Lebanon said: “Things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit.”

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that his country would compel the opposing party to follow the rules or agreements.

The US and Iranian presidents executed a preliminary agreement that seeks to end the war including in Lebanon with immediate effect. It features a significant commitment to resume talks to reach a final deal over the next 60 days.

The US government has condemned Israel’s ongoing operations in Lebanon. Lebanon was originally drawn into war when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel, a significant move targeting Israel in retaliation for the joint US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader.

While Iran explained its declaration that it was closing the strait, the Iranian military accused the US of violating their US-Iran deal by not implementing the first clause of their 14-point memorandum of understanding, which calls for the permanent termination of military operations in every aspect, including in Lebanon.