ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - US Vice President JD Vance and senior Iranian negotiators have arrived in Geneva for talks on implementing the agreement aimed at ending the Middle East war, despite renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz and continued fighting between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Before departing for Europe, Vance told reporters he hoped to "make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're going to be focused on."

The Iranian delegation, led by chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, had arrived in Switzerland late Saturday, according to state media. The delegation also includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and senior security, central bank, and oil officials.

The talks are expected to focus on implementing the memorandum of understanding under which both sides committed to a total ceasefire across all theaters, including Lebanon, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, releasing frozen Iranian assets, ensuring Tehran does not pursue nuclear weapons, and negotiating a final settlement within 60 days.

Although US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian remotely signed the agreement on Thursday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday the Strait of Hormuz would be closed again because of the continued conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Shortly after the IRGC's announcement, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei confirmed that an Iranian delegation would travel to Switzerland, where the agreement had originally been scheduled to be signed on Friday.

Baghaei said Tehran has “adhered” to all of its commitments and that the US is also “obliged to force the Zionist regime [Israel] to stop attacking Lebanon.”

The talks come after renewed violence in Lebanon threatened the newly reached agreement. 

Lebanon's health ministry said at least 47 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday, while state media reported multiple overnight Israeli attacks killed at least five more people, even after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to renew a ceasefire beginning Friday following mediation by Washington and Doha.

Trump has previously expressed frustration with Israel's conduct in Lebanon, criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for launching attacks in southern Lebanon on the day Washington and Tehran were preparing to announce the finalization of their agreement.