Arabic version: إيران تعيد تأكيد سلطتها على مضيق هرمز في مفاوضات الولايات المتحدة
Iran has reasserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz, warning that foreign commercial and military vessels will be targeted if they do not comply with regulations governing passage through the strategic waterway. The announcement on Saturday came after the United States signalled that President Donald Trump was close to a decision on a potential deal with Iran, but Tehran denied an agreement had been reached. According to Al Jazeera, the operational headquarters of Iran’s armed forces stated, “The management of the Strait of Hormuz is exercised with full authority by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The statement emphasized that all ships, including commercial vessels and tankers, must navigate through designated routes and obtain prior permission from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. Any violations of these regulations will seriously jeopardise the security of their traffic. Additionally, Iran warned foreign military forces against interfering with maritime operations, stating that such actions would trigger a response.
On the U.S. side, Trump met with advisers in the White House Situation Room on Friday and said a “final determination” on a possible deal with Iran would soon be made. However, no statement followed the meeting, and reports suggested that the deal was waiting on Trump’s sign-off, which did not come after the discussions.
The efforts to reach a deal were thrown into question this week by U.S. strikes on the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, countered by retaliatory Iranian fire. The Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, mentioned at a defense summit in Singapore that Washington was “more than capable” of restarting the war if a satisfactory deal is not reached. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said that while messages continue to be exchanged, “no final agreement has been reached” on a deal with the U.S.
In a social media post, Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, accused Trump of “betraying diplomacy” by continuing the U.S. naval blockade in the strait and making what he described as “excessive demands in negotiations.” Trump has indicated that any deal must ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons and that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened. However, Iranian sources claim that Tehran is demanding “the immediate release of $12bn” in frozen assets before moving to the next phase of negotiations, complicating the situation further.
