U.S. and Iran to talk Sunday in Switzerland as Tehran says it closed Strait of Hormuz again

By — Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press By — Bassem Mroue, Associated Press Bassem Mroue, Associated Press By — Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Seung Min Kim, Associated Press By — Munir Ahmed, Associated Press Munir Ahmed, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-and-iran-to-talk-sunday-in-switzerland-as-tehran-says-it-closed-strait-of-hormuz-again Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter U.S. and Iran to talk Sunday in Switzerland as Tehran says it closed Strait of Hormuz again World Jun 20, 2026 7:04 PM EDT TYRE, Lebanon (AP) — U.S. and Iranian negotiators headed to a Swiss venue Saturday for talks on adding key details to their interim agreement to halt the war, hours after Tehran said it closed the Strait of Hormuz because of Israel's attacks in Lebanon and warned that little might be achieved if the fighting doesn't stop. U.S. President Donald Trump, in response, unleashed a new threat to impose American tolls in the crucial waterway if a final deal with Iran isn't reached in 60 days, saying the money would be for "services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East." The agreement calls for toll-free travel for 60 days. WATCH: Israel and Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire as deadly fighting threatens U.S.-Iran deal The announcements indicated a rough start to the technical-level talks that key mediator Pakistan said will begin Sunday, with Qatari mediators also participating. U.S. Vice President JD Vance left for Switzerland on Saturday evening, just as Iranian state TV posted video showing Iran's negotiators arriving there. They are led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and include Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and central bank and oil officials, among others. The deal calls for billions of dollars of Iran's assets to be unfrozen. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir also left for Switzerland late Saturday. Talks were meant to start Friday, but the Iranians canceled plans to attend because of escalating fighting in Lebanon. Negotiators for the U.S. and Qatar, with help from Iran, worked out an agreement between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group to tamp down hostilities, according to U.S. and regional officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. Vance told reporters he would be in Switzerland "for a day or two" but was optimistic about making progress in talks about Iran's nuclear program and on a ceasefire in southern Lebanon. He earlier confirmed that top negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland. But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told state TV that negotiations toward a final agreement will begin once key commitments are upheld. If they are not, "the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopar