Tehran: Iran has said ships remain barred from freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz despite former US president Donald Trump’s assertion that a naval blockade has been lifted, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Citing Iranian seafarers, Tasnim said the restrictions are still in force and vessels continue to receive warnings from US Central Command not to enter the area. Trump had posted on Truth Social on Friday that the US naval blockade “will now be lifted.”
In the same post, he set out conditions for a potential deal with Tehran, saying Iran must agree never to acquire a nuclear weapon, the strait should be “immediately open” to unrestricted shipping in both directions, and any water mines should be removed, Xinhua reported. He also said Iran’s enriched uranium stocks would be located with Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency and destroyed.
Iran has said nuclear issues are not part of the current stage of talks.
Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s main military command, said on Saturday that the armed forces retain full authority over management of the Strait of Hormuz, IRNA reported. The statement said all vessels, including commercial ships and oil tankers, must follow routes designated by Iran and obtain permission from the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for passage.
Separately, the IRGC Navy told the semi-official Fars news agency that 20 vessels transited the strait in the past 24 hours with coordination from Iran’s maritime authorities and the IRGC. Fars quoted IRGC officials saying passage was granted because the vessels’ countries needed commodities such as chemical fertiliser.
Iran tightened control of the strait on February 28, restricting passage for vessels linked to Israel and the United States after joint strikes on Iranian territory. The US has also maintained naval restrictions in the waterway, limiting traffic to and from Iranian ports.
(Inputs from IANS)