By Humeyra Pamuk, Jana Choukeir and Steve Holland
ZURICH/DUBAI/WASHINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Saturday he expected to go to Switzerland soon for talks with Iran, even as Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz shut, alleging U.S. and Israeli truce violations.
The move by the hardline IRGC appeared to raise the stakes ahead of the talks, as both sides seek to advance the interim deal signed on Wednesday by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to end their almost four-month war.
The IRGC warned ships not to approach the waterway, a vital conduit for global oil and gas supplies, citing what it called Israeli "crimes" in Lebanon and a U.S. violation of commitments to establish a ceasefire. It said vessels' security would be at risk if they approached the strait.
PREPARATIONS FOR IRAN TALKS 'GOING WELL', SAYS VANCE
A little earlier, Fox News aired an interview with Vance in which he said he was confident the ceasefire agreed in Washington's 14-point deal with Tehran would hold, and that he had seen no evidence that the strait was closed.
"I expect that I will leave sometime in the next couple of days, but you know it's always a delicate coordination dance and the diplomatic protocols," Vance said.
He added that U.S. negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff had been in Switzerland "for a few hours, dealing with some of the technical elements of this negotiation".
"My understanding, talking to Jared and Steve this morning, is things are going well," he added.
Iran's foreign ministry said its negotiators would leave for Switzerland later in the day.
One of the conditions for starting 60 days of U.S.-Iranian talks on Tehran's nuclear program and other issues is a halt to fighting in Lebanon.
However, Lebanese Civil Defence said that 16 people had been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Saturday, hours after a truce there took effect. Israel said it was responding to attacks from Hezbollah, while the Iran-backed group said it would not allow Israel "freedom of movement" in Lebanon.
Israel, left out of the talks, says it is not party to the Iran-U.S. deal, and will keep its forces in the Lebanese territory it occupies.
A U.S. official had said the truce took effect at 4 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Friday, and Israeli and Hezbollah sources confirmed the agreement to Reuters.
Lebanon's state news agency NNA said Israeli warplanes and drones had struck locations across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on Saturday, both Hezbollah strongholds.
The civil defence service said 16 people were killed in the raids.
An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, and that Israel had attacked what it described as Hezbollah targets in response. A military statement said Israel was committed to the ceasefire and would continue to act against any threat to Israel or its forces.
ISRAELI STRIKES HIT TOWN NEAR TYRE
Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters had confronted Israeli forces trying to infiltrate the Ali al-Taher hill area in south Lebanon overnight, and had inflicted casualties. A senior Hezbollah official told Reuters the group would not allow Israeli forces freedom of movement in Lebanese territory.
Hezbollah said it remained committed to the ceasefire but would respond to any attempt by Israel to seize territory or expand its occupation.
Lebanon was drawn into the regional war when Hezbollah attacked Israel after the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran. Israel responded with an offensive against Hezbollah that included invading south Lebanon.
One of the deadliest Israeli strikes on Saturday hit a three-storey residential building in the town of Barish in the Tyre district, killing a father, a mother and their two children, a town official said.
The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike had also killed a soldier on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road.
Israel's Arabic-language military spokesperson said calm and stability could be achieved if Hezbollah ceased what she described as hostile activities and violations of agreements.
She said Israel's presence in Lebanon was intended to remove threats, not to harm Lebanese civilians.
Lebanon's health ministry says 3,912 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, including medics, women and children. It does not say how many combatants are among the dead.
Israel says at least 32 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed in the conflict with Hezbollah.
Switzerland said it continued to provide a "discreet and reliable setting" at the mountain resort of Buergenstock to facilitate discussions. Its foreign ministry said no further details would be disclosed about participants and the talks' content, citing confidentiality.
The Iran war has killed at least 8,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon. It has pushed up energy prices, stoking inflation worldwide. Hezbollah has not disclosed its casualty figures.
The interim deal includes sanctions relief for Iran, the unfreezing of assets worth tens of billions of dollars and immediate U.S. waivers for its oil exports. It also envisages a $300 billion reconstruction fund and other incentives.
(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by William Maclean; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
