US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that negotiations between the US and Iran are not taking place and none are scheduled, and that the Strait of Hormuz remains open. At the same time, Iran announced the shipping route will stay closed until the US meets the conditions of the temporary agreement.
“No negotiations or talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran are taking place and none are scheduled. The naval blockade remains in effect. The Strait of Hormuz is open and operational. All naval mines have been removed or detonated,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Negotiations between the US and Iran have reached a deadlock
The chief Iranian negotiator, Mohammad Bakr Kalibaf, told state media on Tuesday that the strait will stay closed until the US fulfills the conditions of the temporary agreement signed with Iran in June. Those conditions include lifting the American blockade of Iranian ports, removing oil sanctions, unfreezing Tehran’s assets, and ending threats and military operations on all fronts, Kalibaf reported to parliament.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son‑in‑law and special envoy, expressed optimism, saying the talks are still ongoing. “I cannot go into details, but I will say that talks between the US government and representatives of various Iranian government structures at different levels are probably more intense than ever before,” Kushner said on Fox News.
Threat of continued conflict
Progress toward peace talks and the resumption of oil‑tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has stalled, raising the risk of a prolonged conflict that the US and Israel initiated with strikes on Iran on February 28.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that Iran will adopt a “fully offensive” military stance because negotiations for a permanent ceasefire with the US have hit a deadlock. When journalists asked on Monday whether the US intends to extend the June temporary agreement, Trump answered negatively.
Source: The Straits Times
