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Iran's blackmail of Lebanon

1 min Mena Today

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Saturday he expects to go to Switzerland soon for talks with Iran, even as Tehran's high command was reported as saying it would shut the Strait of Hormuz due to what it called U.S. and Israeli truce violations.

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. Reuters

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. Reuters

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Saturday he expects to go to Switzerland soon for talks with Iran, even as Tehran's high command was reported as saying it would shut the Strait of Hormuz due to what it called U.S. and Israeli truce violations.

Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central ‌Headquarters, said the waterway, vital to global oil shipments, would be closed to vessel traffic, citing alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel, Iran's Mehr state news agency reported.

It said that the closure was the "first step" in response to what it described as breaches of commitments and warned that further measures would be taken if "aggression" continued.

The Mehr report emerged as Vance told Fox News in an interview that he was confident the ceasefire agreed in Washington's 14-point deal with Tehran would hold, and that he saw no evidence that Hormuz was closed.

By Humeyra Pamuk, Jana Choukeir and Steve Holland

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