US EditionIran says won't reopen Hormuz if US upholds naval blockade
Iran said reopening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible while U.S. forces block vessels to and from its ports, with oil prices jumping 4%.
- Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared on Thursday that "Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible" amid the United States naval blockade, which he called a "blatant violation of the ceasefire."
- Under orders from President Donald Trump, the United States Navy is blocking vessels near Iranian ports to pressure the economy; CENTCOM officials confirmed they have "directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port."
- Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and Liberia-flagged Epaminondas in the Strait; oil prices jumped four percent Thursday as the standoff showed no signs of easing.
- On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced that Secretary of the Navy John Phelan would leave "immediately," the latest removal of a senior officer under Defense Department chief Pete Hegseth.
- President Donald Trump announced an indefinite ceasefire extension with Iran to allow peace talks brokered by Pakistan, though negotiations appear stalled as neither side shows willingness to compromise.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Iran says won't reopen Hormuz if U.S. upholds naval blockade
While strikes around the region have mostly ceased since the truce began, there has been no letup in the pressure around the crucial trade route, with the two sides exercising their economic leverage in a bid to force the other to back down.
Daily Journal
Iran says won't reopen Hormuz if US upholds naval blockade
Iran vowed it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as the United States continues to blockade its ports, in a tense standoff on Thursday that has dominated the ceasefire in the Middle East war.
Former Navy Commander Eliezer Cheney-Marom claims that the US is imposing a de facto naval blockade on Iranian ports through the Strait of Hormuz, in order to exacerbate economic pressure - against the backdrop of a tense ceasefire and military buildup in the region.
Trump had said that he wanted to give Iran's "divisive" leadership time to come up with a proposal – which many observers saw as a way to protect their faces and avoid a new war.
The US naval blockade will reduce Iranian oil production in the coming weeks, but claims of a collapse of the country's economy are premature, writes AFP, citing analysts. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday that since the beginning of its blockade, the US has forced 31 ships, mostly oil tankers, to change course and return to port. Most of the ships, according to the statement, followed the instructions.
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