The ongoing fighting in Lebanon is causing new tensions between the USA and Iran. Tehran said it closed the Strait of Hormuz again, and Trump has already responded. The latest developments.
June 21, 2026, 02:20June 21, 2026, 02:20
What happened?
According to its own statements, Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz again to the passage of all ships and justified the step in the afternoon with non-compliance with the ceasefire in southern Lebanon, which had been agreed in the framework agreement between the USA and Iran.
Iran says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again.Image: Keystone
In addition to the breach of the ceasefire, the reason for the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was the Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon, said the statement from the Iranian central military command. The Israeli military presence is not explicitly mentioned in the framework agreement between the USA and Iran agreed last weekend. However, the text speaks of ensuring Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The Iranian military command threatened further measures if Israel’s army continued fighting in Lebanon. “If the aggression in Lebanon continues, further measures are planned to force the enemy to fulfill its obligations,” it said.
What does the USA say?
US President Donald Trump reacted to Iran’s announcement on Saturday evening. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he announced that there would be no tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz for the next 60 days during the ceasefire.
Image: sc: Truth Social
Even after the ceasefire expires, no fees would have to be paid unless the United States raised them if no agreement was reached with Iran. This is intended to reimburse past, present and future costs due to services provided by the USA as a “guardian angel” for the Gulf states.
The US military was unimpressed by Iran’s announcement and said on Saturday evening that shipping traffic had increased “while US forces continued to operate in the area to protect freedom of navigation.” 55 ships carrying, among other things, 17 million barrels of oil passed through the strait. As the New York Times reported, this was the largest number of ships since the closure shortly after the start of the war.
According to Centcom, the military remains on site to ensure that all agreements in the framework agreement “are adhered to, followed and fully implemented.”
What does Iran say?
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai said the United States had committed to getting Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon, but that action had not materialized.
“If the other side refuses to fulfill its obligations, Iran will not do so either,” said the spokesman. You only have to ignore a single point of the agreement and the entire agreement has failed, he said.
How are the negotiations going now?
On the Bürgenstock NW, diplomats are currently trying to make negotiations between the USA and Iran possible. Both nations have sent their delegations to Switzerland.
US Vice President JD Vance also traveled to Switzerland for negotiations with Iran. “I think we will hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue and also make progress on the issue of the ceasefire in Lebanon,” he said before departure. He could only be there for a day or two, after which the talks would continue at another level.
JD Vance on his way to Switzerland.Image: Keystone
Vance had previously confirmed that talks were currently taking place in Switzerland – and in this context also that US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff were in Switzerland.
“Jared and Steve have been on site for several hours now, handling some of the technical aspects of these negotiations,” Vance continued. “From my impression from talking to Jared and Steve this morning, things are going well.”
What is happening in Lebanon?
On Saturday, Lebanese media reported numerous Israeli air strikes that left at least 35 dead. The Israeli army and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia blame each other for the fighting and ceasefire violations. Lebanon itself is not a party to the conflict. The Lebanese army accused Israel of using the attacks to prevent any solution that would restore stability in the country.
Meanwhile, the fighting in Lebanon continues Image: Keystone
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 83 people were said to have been killed in Israeli attacks on Friday.
The Israeli army accused Hezbollah of repeated violations of the ceasefire. During the night they fired more than 50 projectiles at soldiers in southern Lebanon. Five soldiers were killed and two others were seriously injured. In response, Hezbollah missile sites, weapons depots and command centers were attacked. The army will continue to take action against any threat to Israel and the soldiers in the future, it said.
The militia, on the other hand, said it had responded to an advance by Israeli troops. It was also said that Hezbollah would continue to adhere to the ceasefire, but would oppose any attempt to conquer further land.
(ome/sda/dpa)