The Daily Populous Sunday June 21st, 2026 morning edition
Authored by jpost.com and submitted by BadahBingBadahBoom

Iran's top joint military command has ordered that the Strait of Hormuz be closed in retaliation for what it claims is a “blatant breach” of the recently signed US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, according to Iranian semi-official state-sponsored media outlet Mehr on Saturday.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy warned that vessels should not approach the strait or else their security is at risk, according to Iranian semi-official state media outlet Fars News Agency.

US Vice President JD Vance disputed the closure during an interview with Fox News on Saturday, stating that there is no evidence that Iran had closed the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the Mehr report, Iran's military stated that the closure is also in response to continued Israeli operations against Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

According to Mehr, Iran’s military declared the closure of the strait as the “first step” in its response and stated that if the US and Israel continue to act in a manner it deems as breaching the agreement, “further steps will be planned and taken to force the enemy to fulfill its obligations.”

US President Donald Trump holds up the memorandum of understanding, signed by the US, and Iran, at the Palace of Versailles, in France. (credit: SCREENSHOT/TRUTH SOCIAL)

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson asserted that the US is “obligated” to force Israel to stop all action against Hezbollah, according to Fars.

The spokesperson added that if the US does not honor the commitments outlined in the MoU and does not take measures to uphold the deal as soon as possible, the status agreement may be in danger.

Iranian delegation to demand implementation of MoU during Switzerland talks

According to an Axios report, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that a delegation of Iranian officials will travel to Switzerland on Saturday for US-Iran technical talks that are set to begin on Sunday.

Baghaei stated that during the talks, Iran will “follow up on and demand the implementation of the other side's commitments” regarding the MoU.

According to a statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the talks will be attended by delegations of American and Iranian officials and will be facilitated by mediators from Pakistan and Qatar.

An advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei released a statement on X/Twitter asserting that Iran’s negotiators “will not be satisfied without the full implementation of commitments.”

He added that while the MoU remains on paper, the flow of oil and trade through the Strait of Hormuz will be halted until the deal's terms are fulfilled because the US “understands the language of economics and cost-benefit better.”

US CENTCOM claims traffic through Strait of Hormuz increasing

US Central Command (CENTCOM) released a statement shortly after Iran announced the closure of the strait, asserting that commercial ship traffic through the waterway increased on Saturday.

“Commercial ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz increased June 20 as US forces continued operating in the general area to support freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM stated in a post on X/Twitter.

They added that US forces remain present in the Strait of Hormuz to “ ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect.”

No tolls on the Strait of Hormuz except from the US, Trump says

Later, US President Donald Trump announced that there would be no tolls on the Strait of Hormuz during the 60 day negotiation period, adding that there would also be no tolls afterwards "unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America."

AnomalyNexus on June 20th, 2026 at 17:10 UTC »

And on monday it'll be back to concepts of a deal

elykl12 on June 20th, 2026 at 15:43 UTC »

It’s like the iron triangle in monetary policy but for the Iran War

Trump needs peace because going into the midterms he cannot afford $5 gas if he wants a chance at controlling either chamber in Congress this November. And support for Israel is dropping like a rock amongst all voting groups

Bibi needs either a conflict going or a total surrender on the part of Iran going into the next Knesset elections to survive being ousted and then prosecuted this October. Similarly support for Trump in Israel has dropped from the upper 50’s to the mid 30’s following this most recent MOU

Iran needs to up the pressure on the U.S.-Israeli alliance to split them. Iran, with nothing much else to lose, has every incentive to increase the pressure on the United States, Israel, and global energy markets. The IRGC and new supreme leader cannot afford to look weak in any negotiation so they cannot sue for a white peace, they need tangible concessions from Israel and the U.S.

All the while, all three of them are playing a geopolitical game of chicken with the operational minimum of oil about “4 weeks away” as Trump so helpfully blurted out this week (we figured it was about this far but it’s one thing for POTUS to confirm it)

Like the iron triangle you can satisfy two country’s objectives but not the third at any given point. Which means it’s unlikely this conflict ends without someone capitulating

eagerrangerdanger on June 20th, 2026 at 14:41 UTC »

Trump desperately needs the deal to look alive. Iran needs the U.S. to prove it can restrain Israel (spoiler alert: It can't). Netanyahu needs freedom of action and cannot politically accept looking bound by a US Iran deal. Hezbollah cannot look passive while Israel operates in Lebanon. Oil markets punish everyone if Hormuz stays disrupted. This is basically a 60-day waiting period for the next war.