Iran’s parliament speaker says a final peace deal with the US remains distant, as Tehran re-closes the vital Strait of Hormuz amid a blockade dispute
TEHRAN: Iran’s powerful parliament speaker has signalled a final peace deal with the United States remains “far” off, as the strategic Strait of Hormuz was again closed on Sunday.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said there had been “progress” in talks with Washington, but fundamental gaps remain. “We are still far from the final discussion,” Ghalibaf stated in a televised address.
The crucial maritime chokepoint was re-closed after Tehran reversed a brief reopening. Iran says it will not reopen the strait until the US ends its blockade of Iranian ports.
US President Donald Trump acknowledged “very good conversations” were ongoing but warned Tehran against trying to “blackmail” the United States. He insisted the US blockade would continue until a final deal is struck.
“If America does not lift the blockade, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be limited,” Ghalibaf warned.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that any unauthorised passage through the strait “will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted”. A UK maritime agency reported the Guards fired at one tanker.
Hardly any vessels were crossing the waterway by late Saturday after a handful crossed during the brief reopening. The Indian foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador over a “shooting incident” involving two Indian-flagged ships.
A major sticking point in negotiations is Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium. Trump claimed Iran had agreed to hand over its roughly 440 kilograms of enriched material.
Iran’s foreign ministry has denied this, stating the stockpile was “not going to be transferred anywhere”. It said surrendering it “to the US has never been raised in negotiations”.
The conflict began with massive US-Israeli attacks on Iran. It has since spread, with Iran-backed Hezbollah dragging Lebanon into the war.
A French soldier was killed and three others wounded in an ambush on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. France’s president blamed Hezbollah, an accusation the group denied.
Israel’s military reported that two of its soldiers had also been killed in combat in southern Lebanon. A two-week ceasefire is set to end on Wednesday unless it is renewed.
