Donald Trump earlier vowed to maintain the blockade of Iranian ports until a peace deal is reached.
The Iranian military has once again closed free passage through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, citing what it described as US ‘piracy.’
On Friday, Tehran initially declared the waterway completely open for commercial vessels for the remaining period of the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, prompting a fall in oil prices on hopes of de-escalation.
However, while US President Donald Trump praised the news, he said that the US blockade of Iranian ports “will remain in full force” until a peace deal is reached.
According to multiple media reports, the US has presented several demands to Iran, including the handing over of its enriched uranium stockpile. While Trump claimed that Tehran had “agreed to everything,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei reiterated that the Islamic Republic would not give up the stockpile, which he described as “as sacred as Iranian soil.”
