The showdown continues between Donald Trump and the regime in place in Tehran with a key latest development concerning the Strait of Hormuz. After a brief reopening, Iran closed this strategic passage again on Saturday, declaring that this crucial maritime route for international hydrocarbon trade would not be reopened as long as the United States continues its blockade of Iranian ports.
This hardening comes amidst a diplomatic dance to try to end the war in the Middle East, beyond the two-week ceasefire in effect since April 8 between Iran and the United States, which is about to expire.
Trump condemns ‘blackmail’
Faced with the U.S. maintaining the blockade, Iran reversed course on Saturday, stating its intention to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until the end of the war, a day after its decision to allow the passage of a “limited number” of tankers and commercial ships.
“They’re playing the smart ones,” Donald Trump reacted, stating that there could be no “blackmail.” The U.S. president, however, noted “very good conversations” towards a lasting cessation of hostilities.
Negotiations continue
The president of the Islamic Republic’s Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who represented Iran in recent negotiations, mentioned “progress,” but pointed out that the two countries were still “far from” a final agreement. Furthermore, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council had said to be reviewing new proposals from Washington and vowed to make “no compromise.”
After more than a month of a war that has claimed thousands of lives, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, the announcement on Friday by Tehran of the reopening of the strait gave a boost to financial markets and caused a sharp drop in oil prices, as a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through Ormuz. While some ships were able to cross the strait during its temporary reopening on Saturday, others faced gunfire and threats from the Iranian army. Any ship now approaching the strait will be “targeted,” warned the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s ideological military.
Behind the scenes, negotiations are ongoing, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty saying he is “working tirelessly” alongside Pakistan towards a “final agreement.” Direct talks between Iran and the United States, the first in person at such a level since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, were held on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad but failed.
