Iran negotiators arrive in Switzerland for war talks

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.

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 jeopardized."

The strait has emerged again as a focus.

Iran's joint military command said it was closed because of the US "clear breach of its commitments" by failing to end the war.

The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon.

US 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.

The announcements indicated a rough start to the technical-level talks that key mediator Pakistan said will begin Sunday, with Qatari mediators also participating.

Talks were meant to start Friday, but the Iranians canceled plans to attend because of escalating fighting in Lebanon.

Negotiators for the US 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 US and regional officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.