Summary
- Baghaei also said Iran will not follow the terms of an earlier agreement with the US, known as the Islamabad memorandum, unless Washington first stops breaking its own promises.
- US President Donald Trump said the strait remained open for trade, even though Iran had earlier said it had closed the waterway.
- President Trump also said the United States may take control of the Strait of Hormuz altogether.
Tensions between Iran and the United States have grown much worse, with fresh military strikes raising fears of a bigger war. The fighting has centred on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries a huge share of the world’s oil supply.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said on Monday that Tehran is still talking to mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman. These countries are trying to stop the situation from getting worse. Baghaei also said Iran will not follow the terms of an earlier agreement with the US, known as the Islamabad memorandum, unless Washington first stops breaking its own promises. He said Iran’s position is simple. Commitment must be met with commitment.
The fighting has already pushed oil prices up by more than two per cent. This happened after new military strikes between the US and Iran raised worries about oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump said the strait remained open for trade, even though Iran had earlier said it had closed the waterway. Iran took this step after a ship travelling on an unauthorised route was attacked.
Experts at Goldman Sachs believe that new oil pipelines being built across the Middle East could help protect a large part of Gulf oil exports from future problems in the strait, but not until the end of 2028.
President Trump also said the United States may take control of the Strait of Hormuz altogether. He said the US should be paid for guarding this important route. He joked that the US could be called the guardian angel of the strait. He said other wealthy nations that depend on the strait should help cover the costs. Later, Trump wrote on social media that the strait would remain open for all countries except Iran. He said the US would charge a fee of twenty per cent on all cargo shipped through the strait as payment for providing safety.
Iran’s military strongly rejected the idea of the US managing the strait. It said it will not allow any interference from Washington.
Meanwhile, the human cost of the conflict continues to rise. At least two people were killed and three others wounded when US missiles struck three locations in the Iranian city of Abadan. Separately, new explosions were heard near the port city of Bandar Abbas and nearby Qeshm Island. Local authorities said there were no reports of damage to homes or businesses, though earlier blasts had also been reported in the same area.
Other countries have called for calm. China urged all sides to ensure safe and free passage through the strait, saying this is in everyone’s interest. The European Union’s Kaja Kallas said the situation must return to normal, adding that European ministers plan to meet Gulf nations to discuss the situation. She said there should be no extra fees or restrictions on ships passing through the strait.
The violence has spread beyond Iran’s borders. Iran targeted US military bases across the Gulf region, including in Qatar, a country that had not faced such attacks since April. The United Arab Emirates also said its defence systems intercepted missiles and drones fired from Iran, the first such attack there since May. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had also hit US facilities in Bahrain and radar systems in Oman.
Iran’s army also claimed it shot down a US drone near Bandar Abbas.
