Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency directly contradicted US President Donald Trump's claim that the Strait
By Bernard Moerdler,
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency directly contradicted US President Donald Trump's claim that the Strait of Hormuz would return to its pre-war status under the deal being finalised, stating that any possible agreement would leave the waterway under Iranian management. According to Fars, citing the latest text exchanged between the parties, while Iran has agreed to allow the number of passing ships to return to pre-war levels, this does not signify "free transit" to the pre-war situation. Management of the strait, the determination of routes, timing, the manner of passage, and the issuance of permits will remain exclusively at the discretion of the Islamic Republic, the IRGC-linked outlet stated.
Fars further stated that despite Trump's previous announcements that Iran's nuclear programme was a main and integral condition of any agreement, "no commitment has been made by Iran, and the nuclear file has essentially not been discussed at this stage." The agency stated that American officials had, in numerous messages to Iran, acknowledged that Trump's social media posts were "mainly for promotional purposes and media consumption within the US," and had advised Tehran to ignore them. There has been no immediate response from Washington.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Diplomacy
Reported by Bernard Moerdler for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.