Iranian MP Novin said Iran, leveraging battlefield advantages and popular support, holds the upper hand in the regional balance and in negotiations.

CNN reported that after Iran announced on Saturday it would close the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' naval unit warned vessels not to approach the waterway. A state broadcaster reporter said the IRGC issued radio warnings and directly contacted ships, saying vessels attempting to transit could encounter sea mines or be targeted by Iranian naval forces. The reporter added vessel traffic in the Persian Gulf had fallen further compared with several hours earlier.

Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman traveling with the Iranian negotiating delegation to Switzerland, said on his personal social media on the 21st that Iran will rigorously follow up on US fulfilment of its commitments. The Switzerland meeting aimed to track implementation of clauses in the Iran–US memorandum of understanding; under Article 13, launching final-agreement talks depends on execution of Articles 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11. Article 1 — ending wars on all fronts, including Lebanon — must be implemented before final negotiations can begin. Talks focused on implementing those clauses, especially Article 1, and reviewed measures to execute Article 10 (Iran oil exports) and Article 11 (unfreezing frozen Iranian assets).