WASHINGTON/GENEVA, June 20 — The United States dismissed Iranian assertions that the Strait of Hormuz had been shut to maritime traffic, insisting that commercial shipping continued to move through one of the world’s most critical energy corridors as American and Iranian negotiators prepared for talks in Switzerland.

U.S. Central Command said dozens of merchant vessels successfully transited the waterway during the day, contradicting statements from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that the passage had been closed in response to alleged violations of a recently announced ceasefire arrangement.

The dispute emerged just as representatives from Washington and Tehran headed into a new round of diplomatic discussions aimed at transforming a temporary truce into a broader political settlement after months of regional conflict.

Iranian officials argued that continued violence involving Israel and Hezbollah undermined commitments linked to the ceasefire framework and warned that stability in regional energy flows could not be guaranteed if the agreement’s terms were not respected.

U.S. officials rejected those claims, maintaining that navigation remained uninterrupted and that American forces would continue monitoring the area to ensure freedom of passage for international shipping.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most strategically important maritime chokepoints globally, carrying a significant share of the world’s seaborne oil exports. Any suggestion of disruption typically reverberates across energy and financial markets.

While diplomats gathered in Switzerland to pursue further negotiations, continued clashes in Lebanon underscored the fragile nature of the ceasefire and highlighted the challenges facing efforts to secure a more durable regional agreement.

Reporting based on publicly available information from international news agencies and official statements released on June 20, 2026.