Iran makes Strait of Hormuz opening contingent on US commitment to interim deal

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said, “The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States adheres to the terms of the interim agreement.” While a senior Iranian official told Reuters that his country had decided to shift its policy from defense to “full-scale attack” due to the failure of efforts to reach a permanent agreement ending the war with the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that Iran “must raise the white flag of surrender,” clarifying that Tehran would not conclude the agreement he deemed essential.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that it received a report of a ship being hit by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz in a departure direction, which damaged the engine room and resulted in a loss of life among the crew, according to Reuters.

President Trump stated that Iran must surrender to end the war with the United States and reiterated his commitment to preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons amid the ongoing conflict, as talks between the two countries remained stalled. In remarks to journalists at the White House, Trump confirmed that Washington was not seeking to extend the memorandum of understanding with Tehran.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that “the first goal, and always will be, is that Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon in any form,” echoing one of the reasons he cited to justify the war.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged his American counterpart during a phone call to continue talks with Iran to reduce tensions between the two countries, and offered Ankara’s support for peace efforts. Jared Kushner, the U.S. president’s envoy, said that talks between the United States and various sectors of the Iranian government were more serious than ever, but that the two sides had not yet reached an agreement.