Iran will close Strait of Hormuz if US naval blockade persists, Iranian agency says

Trump: US will maintain blockade until negotiations end Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz again if United States President Donald Trump insists on maintaining its naval blockade, an Iranian official told the Fars news agency this Friday (17). ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp LIVE: Follow the latest news on the war in the Middle East Earlier, Trump stated that the North American military blockade, in force on the Strait of Hormuz since Monday (13), would continue even after Iran announced the total reopening of the sea route. In a post on the Truth Social network, Trump stated that he will only withdraw his troops from the route after negotiations with Iran are “100% complete”, but that the strait “is completely open and ready for business and free traffic”. “The Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and free traffic, but the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect with regard to Iran only until our negotiations with Iran are 100% completed. This process should be quite quick, as most points have already been negotiated,” he wrote. In a post on Telegram, with a screenshot of what was written by Trump, the Iranian agency called the American’s decision “blackmail”. Minutes earlier, the US president had adopted a more conciliatory tone, thanking the Iranian regime for the decision made. President Donald Trump AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was one of the main US demands in negotiations for a peace agreement between the two countries, which are being mediated by Pakistan. Earlier this Friday, the leaders of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, brought together colleagues from dozens of other countries, without the presence of the United States, to discuss plans for reopening the strait. READ ALSO: US x Iran: four possible scenarios of what lies ahead in the conflict US is ‘ready to resume fighting if Iran does not accept agreement’, says Pentagon Why did Trump decide to block the Strait of Hormuz after defending its opening for so long?

Source link