Iran's Strait Claim
Iran claims Strait of Hormuz closure citing Israeli violation, sends team for US talks.
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Iran announced the re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz on June 20, 2026, blaming ceasefire violations by Israel and the United States, according to Associated Press. The move comes just three days after the historic Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed to end the four-month conflict that had blocked a waterway carrying 20% of the world's oil supply.
In a striking contradiction, Tehran simultaneously dispatched Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Switzerland for peace talks with the U.S., signaling a dual-track strategy of military pressure and diplomacy. The White House pushed back, saying it has seen no physical evidence of a new Iranian naval blockade, according to CBC News.
The Islamabad Peace Deal Unravels in Days
On June 17, President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the Islamabad MoU in Pakistan. The deal set a 60-day ceasefire and a plan to reopen the Strait. Iran agreed to clear an estimated 80 sea mines from shipping lanes. In return, the U.S. would lift naval blockades on Iranian ports, according to The Guardian.
The deal showed early promise. On June 18, shipping traffic began a cautious recovery, with 25 verified crossings recorded, according to Kpler. But that progress collapsed within 48 hours. Intense clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon on June 19 — killing at least 47 people in a single day — gave Iran the pretext to declare the deal broken.
Hezbollah Clashes in Lebanon Triggered the Crisis
On June 19, Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers in Lebanon. Israel responded with strikes that left at least 47 people dead — the highest single-day toll since the MoU was signed, according to The Hindu. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi accused the U.S. of failing to restrain Israel, according to Axios.
Israel says it is not bound by the U.S.-Iran deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel would maintain its 'security zone' in Lebanon regardless of the MoU, which Israel never signed, according to The Jerusalem Post. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, the lead negotiator, canceled his flight to Switzerland as the technical talks were postponed.
80 Mines and the Omani Route Create a Shipping Nightmare
Even before the re-closure announcement, the Strait was not truly safe. An estimated 80 Iranian-laid mines remain in the central shipping lanes, according to Intertanko. Ships using the waterway must hug the Oman coastline on an alternate path. That route risks grounding and heavy congestion, according to Seatrade Maritime.
Roughly 22,500 seafarers remain trapped in the region due to shifting security rules. Shipping giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are still in a holding pattern. Brent crude futures surged back toward $140 per barrel after the re-closure announcement. Before the crisis began, 21 million barrels of oil per day flowed through the Strait, according to MarineTraffic.
Swiss Talks on Sunday Are the Last Off-Ramp
Despite the closure announcement, Iran confirmed Araghchi will travel to Switzerland on Sunday, June 21. Qatari and Pakistani mediators are reportedly working to keep the talks alive, according to AFP. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War say the IRGC is using the closure threat as leverage to force an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
Vance said the U.S. still expects talks to move forward, telling reporters: 'It's always a delicate coordination dance.' The next 48 hours in Switzerland will reveal whether the Islamabad MoU survives or a second, more destructive phase of the Hormuz War begins. The International Energy Agency reports the crisis has already cut long-term oil demand by 1.1 million barrels per day, according to IEA.
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