The US demanded Iran declare the Strait of Hormuz open, stop attacks on ships and publicly guarantee that ships passing through it will have safe passage without any tolls. The US administration said that due to the ongoing internal struggle for power in Tehran, it has become difficult to reach and maintain any agreement.
Briefing journalists on the current situation with Iran, US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the attacks began again this week when a group of Iranian radicals tried to sabotage the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.
President Trump has many options
This development has happened at a time when US President Donald Trump again said on social media on Friday that he considers the interim ceasefire agreement to be over. But he said that America will continue talks with the aim of ending the war permanently. Officials said Friday that Trump is giving US negotiators a limited amount of time to reach a deal with Iran, but pointed to the challenges ahead and stressed that the president has several options if talks fail.
Struggle for power in Iran
He also said that there is a struggle for power in Iran after Iran’s longtime leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli strikes at the beginning of the war. Officials said the US is pressuring Iran to make a public statement that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea route for the world’s energy markets, is open and free for shipping.
violation of interim agreement
But shortly before US officials spoke, Iran’s diplomat at the United Nations told reporters that any activity in the Strait of Hormuz, including opening it or removing mines, is entirely within Iran’s jurisdiction. Any attempt by external forces to intervene or establish a regime would violate the (interim agreement) and hinder its implementation, delay the resumption of normal commercial movements, jeopardize maritime security and escalate regional tensions, Ambassador Amir Saeed Iravani said outside the UN Security Council.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz should now be completely under its control and ships should pay fees to Tehran, even though the world has considered it an international waterway for decades. Before the war began, about one-fifth of the oil and natural gas traded worldwide passed through this strait.
Iran’s occupation of the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict led to a global energy crisis, although oil prices, which reached US$120 per barrel during the war, have fallen sharply.
Attacks even after America stopped attacks
No one took responsibility for the air attacks on Iran on Friday. These attacks took place when America had said that it had stopped its attacks. This raises the question as to who else is targeting the Islamic Republic. US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said that there was no operational update after Trump’s announcement regarding the ceasefire.
Gulf Arab countries, which Iran has repeatedly targeted since the war began on February 28. There was no immediate response to requests for comment on the attacks Friday. Israel, which took part in the Iran war, has also not claimed responsibility for any recent attacks on Iran.
Thursday’s attacks took place in several areas of southern Iran, just as Iran was preparing to bury the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The country’s religious leadership has not directly blamed anyone, although a lawmaker warned the UAE about its alleged support for the US campaign against Iran.
Iran responded to Thursday’s attacks with large-scale attacks across the Middle East, targeting Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar. It is reported that one person was injured in Kuwait when the air defense system targeted the incoming attacks in the area.
Mediators and allies reuniting
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi plans to discuss the strait with his Omani counterpart in Oman on Saturday, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his country’s state broadcaster TRT that he was confident a solution could be reached this weekend between Iran and Oman, the two countries on opposite sides of the narrow waterway.
Immediately after the Iranian attack, UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan traveled to Kuwait to meet with the ruling emir of the small oil-rich country. Gulf Arab countries also held talks with the Foreign Minister of Qatar. He has been deeply involved in mediating the Iran-US talks with Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he spoke separately on Friday to Iranian President Massoud Pejeshkian and Qatar’s ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and stressed the need for restraint and diplomacy.
The Israeli government said that Netanyahu spoke to Trump on Thursday night, in which he informed Netanyahu about US steps in the Gulf. Israel’s Defense Minister Katz also reiterated that his country is ready to face Iran if necessary. “If we have to return, we will return with even greater force,” Katz said at a military ceremony.
Iran’s threats continue
On Friday, Iranian state media quoted Ismail Kousari, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee and former commander of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, as saying that the UAE will have to pay a price for cooperating with the US. He accused the Emirates of having a behind-the-scenes role in the recent US attacks.
Meanwhile, Iran says that it should have complete control over the Strait of Hormuz. But America is constantly asking sailors to use the southern route through Oman’s maritime territory to avoid Iran.
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