President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States was having “very positive discussions” with Iran as he outlined plans for U.S. troops to escort ships through the blocked Strait of Hormuz starting Monday.
He said the new maritime operation, which he called “Project Freedom,” was a “humanitarian” gesture for crews aboard the many ships caught up in the blockade that may already be running low on food and other vital supplies.
“We will do our best to get their ships and crews out of the Strait safely. In all cases, they have said they will not return until the area becomes safe to navigate,” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his Truth social platform.
Iran has controlled the strategic Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28. Tehran retaliated by attacking targets in Israel and Gulf states.
The statement made no mention of what Tehran said was a 14-point plan “aimed at ending the war,” which Iran’s foreign minister said Washington had responded to in a message to Pakistani mediators.
“We are reviewing this and will take all necessary response measures,” spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state television.
Since the ceasefire came into effect on April 8, negotiations between the two countries have reached a deadlock, and only one round of direct peace talks has been held so far.
“I am fully aware that my representatives are having very positive discussions with the country of Iran that could lead to very positive outcomes for everyone,” Trump said.
By blocking the Strait of Hormuz, Iran cut off key oil, gas and fertilizer supplies to the world economy, while the United States imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
According to maritime intelligence company AXSMArine, there were more than 900 commercial ships in the Gulf as of April 29.
“The ship movement is simply about liberating individuals, companies and countries who have done absolutely nothing wrong and are victims of circumstance.”
-“Impossible operation”-
Iran has set a “one-month deadline to negotiate a deal to reopen the strait,” lift the U.S. naval blockade and end the war, U.S. news website Axios reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the proposal.
Earlier on Sunday, the Revolutionary Guards sought to put the blame back on Trump, saying he had to choose between “impossible action or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic.”
Washington’s European allies worry the longer the strait remains closed, the greater the impact on their economies, and German Foreign Minister John Wadfel has called for it to be reopened.
In a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Wadfel emphasized that Germany supports a negotiated solution but “Iran must completely and verifiably give up its nuclear weapons and immediately open the Strait of Hormuz.”
Oil prices are now around 50% above pre-conflict levels, largely due to troubled supplies from the strait.
-“Suffocating Regime”-
The US president, who is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, declined on Sunday to specify what might trigger new US military action.
But he said in the post that “if the humanitarian process is disrupted in any way, unfortunately, such disruption must be dealt with forcefully.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant said the U.S. naval blockade was part of a broader economic embargo.
“We’re suffocating the regime, they can’t pay their soldiers. This is a real economic blockade, and it’s in every part of the government,” he told Fox News.
Mohsen Rezai, a military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, struck a more bellicose tone, saying Iranian forces would sink U.S. ships.
“The United States is the only pirate in the world with an aircraft carrier. Our ability to fight pirates is no less than our ability to sink warships. Get ready to face the graves of your aircraft carriers and troops,” he posted on X.
burs-dcp/pyramid/prostitution
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
