Iran said on Monday it remains in control of the Strait of Hormuz and is not seeking to resume peace talks with the United States, following President Donald Trump's decision to halt a two-week bombing campaign against the country.
US President Donald Trump halted the bombing campaign after US military commanders advised that they were running out of targets, according to a US official and several US media reports. The campaign had reached the limits of what it could achieve, and the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, expressed concern over the depletion of air defence munitions.
Following 13 nights of bombing, Iran fired on US bases in response, killing four US service members. Scores of people were killed in Iran during the US campaign, which destroyed bridges and tunnels across southern Iran as well as military targets. Iran also struck civilian infrastructure in Gulf countries in retaliation for US strikes on civilian targets.
Iran said it would suspend its own attacks for as long as the US pause endures. However, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that Tehran rejected a US proposal to keep the Strait of Hormuz open until negotiations conclude. "Regardless of the result, Iran's fundamental policy will not change," Gharibabadi said.
The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, said Trump had paused the campaign to allow room for negotiations, and US officials described Iran as 'begging for a deal'. But Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei denied that Iran had asked to resume talks, calling such reports fabricated and stating, "This is not in our DNA." Messages are still being passed through mediators, he added.
Brent crude oil prices briefly ticked above US$100 per barrel last week for the first time since May, then plunged more than 8% to under US$89 by Monday. The halt to the US bombing campaign leaves no clear indication of what leverage Washington can exert to achieve Trump's aim to break Iran's grip on the strait. The Trump administration is urging the UK and France to lead a naval coalition to secure the waterway, but allies want to see a ceasefire first.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi said Tehran's final proposal to Oman requires one shipping lane entirely under Iranian control and part of a second lane also under Iranian control. Oman proposed a temporary route with 50% control under Iran and 50% under Oman, but Iran rejected it. Gharibabadi warned that if Oman does not accept Iran's proposal, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed and Iran is prepared for renewed conflict. Iran's policy is that the strait will never return to its pre-war status.
Iranian state media cited an 'informed source' as saying Iran turned around six 'offending ships' on Monday morning that attempted to cross the strait without permission; one had 'an accident'. The IRGC said the Strait of Hormuz cannot be reopened as long as US threats and interference continue. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump announced that compensation for ships damaged during the conflict would be paid from Iran's blocked assets, prompting Iran to warn that vessels accepting such compensation would be barred from transiting the strait.
Jordan reported shooting down two drones, and Iraqi security sources said drones struck a base of Iranian Kurdish opposition fighters in northern Iraq. No casualties were reported in either incident. The US and Saudi Arabia conducted airstrikes in eastern Iraq targeting Iran-backed groups, and Hashd al-Shaabi announced casualties and damage at some of its centers. IRGC said it launched multiple ballistic missiles at US military facilities in Jordan, with the Jordanian army reporting it shot down five Iranian missiles.
'As previously announced, the traffic route in the Strait of Hormuz is the route specified by Iran.'