Trump: We impose full control over the Strait of Hormuz... and Iran has no means to counter the naval blockade

US President Donald Trump affirmed that the naval blockade on Iran is akin to a “wall of steel,” asserting that Tehran has “no means” to counter it amid significant economic pressure. In a post on his platform, Truth Social, Trump stated, “The United States of America has imposed complete control over the Strait of Hormuz... and I believe we will maintain this control.” He added, “Everyone calls our naval blockade a wall of steel, and Iran has no means to confront it. It has no navy, no air force, and its remaining soldiers are not being paid. The Revolutionary Guard is suffering widespread destruction and fleeing the battlefield, and its leadership is unstable.” He pointed out that “Iran has no money... and is exhausted,” emphasizing that it “is no longer the bully in the Middle East.”

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the mediation file aimed at ending the war between the United States and Iran has not been closed, and that the 60-day ceasefire period stipulated in the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries last June could be extended. Speaking at a press conference, ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, “Pakistan is making continuous efforts to bring the two sides of the conflict to the negotiating table and to prevent those who wish to harm the peace process from doing so.” Andrabi noted that the memorandum of understanding concluded between the United States and Iran would serve as a “model for peace.” He added, “It may not have been implemented, but when the parties exhaust the logic of escalation, the model for peace exists in the memorandum of understanding.” He mentioned that Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi recently visited Tehran, clarifying that this visit provides an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations in a manner that serves peace and stability in the region. Andrabi also noted that Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar held telephone conversations with his counterparts in several regional countries, discussing the latest developments and efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability in the region.

It is worth noting that the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran included 14 points and aimed to pave the way for peace talks between the two sides. In the same context, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar received Iran’s ambassador to Islamabad, Reza Amiri Moghadam, yesterday. The ministry clarified in a post on its official X account that the Iranian ambassador briefed the Pakistani Foreign Minister on progress in bilateral institutional mechanisms following recent high-level visits between Islamabad and Tehran. According to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, Ishaq Dar stressed during the meeting that dialogue and diplomacy are the only effective means to address outstanding issues and achieve lasting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

In a separate development, 32 countries, including Britain and European Union member states, condemned in a joint statement the continued “execution of protesters” by Iranian authorities in the wake of protests that took place in the country months ago. These countries stated in their joint statement that “the use of the ultimate penalty to silence criticism, intimidate the population, and punish those exercising their human rights cannot be justified under any circumstances,” calling on Tehran to “immediately cease applying the death penalty and promptly release all arbitrarily detained individuals.”