Strait of Hormuz reopen Iran war latest: Iran-U.S. war could erupt again, warns Washington as Strait of Hormuz blockade continues. What to expect this week?
US sources told AFP that the agreement was awaiting Trump’s signature but that he had not made any decisions after a White House Situation Room meeting on Friday.
Washington is “more than capable” of restarting the war if necessary, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Saturday while attending a defense summit in Singapore, adding “we are more than capable of doing so.”
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported in X that American forces “remain present and alert in the region.”
Despite a ceasefire that has largely held since April, there have been occasional flare-ups.
Iran’s IRNA state news agency, citing the military, said on Saturday that its air defenses shot down a drone “belonging to the US-Zionist aggressive enemy.”
However, diplomacy continued, including halting parallel hostilities in Lebanon, where Iran insists on being part of any deal to end the war and where Israeli forces are advancing further even as military delegations from both countries meet at the Pentagon on Friday. Trump said his priorities for any deal include Iran agreeing to never develop nuclear weapons and reopening the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
“President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and meets his red lines,” a White House official told AFP, adding: “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
– Competition conditions –
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei walked back Trump’s conditions, saying the Islamic republic “said goodbye to the language of ‘obligation’ 47 years ago.”
He added that the exchange of messages was continuing but “no final agreement has been reached.”
In his social media post, Trump said that Tehran would remove the mines in the Strait of Hormuz and end the closure of the waterway “for free”, and that the United States would lift its blockade of Iranian ports.
The two countries would also coordinate on removing and destroying Iran’s enriched uranium, he said, adding that “no money will be exchanged, until further notice.”
However, Iran’s Fars news agency quoted sources as saying Tehran had demanded “the immediate release of $12 billion” before moving on to the next phase of negotiations.
Iranian state television also reported on Saturday that an “informal” draft memorandum of understanding said the United States had agreed to release $12 billion in frozen assets.
“The United States has promised to give Iran full access to $12 billion in assets within 60 days, so that these resources can be transferred and spent without restrictions in banks wherever Iran wishes,” the televised report said. The statement was included.
The White House has previously dismissed such claims as “fabricated.”
Sources quoted by the Fars news agency stated that “there is no such clause in the agreement text” regarding the free reopening of Hormuz, and said that Trump’s comment regarding the destruction of Iran’s nuclear materials was “baseless”.
Iran’s ISNA news agency quoted lawmaker Ali Reza Salimi as saying on Saturday that “a plan to implement Iran’s rule and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz will soon be approved by parliament.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said that the US blockade of the strait continues and its ships “received warnings from CENTCOM to stop and not cross the blockade line.”
– Clashes in Lebanon –
Although a separate ceasefire was declared on the Lebanese front, clashes continue unabated.
The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for more villages in southern Lebanon on Saturday, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had advanced more than 30 kilometers (20 miles) into the country.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of pursuing a “policy of scorching and collective punishment” in the south of his country and called for a “quick and real ceasefire”.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah began on April 17, but it was never achieved, with both sides accusing each other of violating it.
In early March, Tehran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel over the US-Israeli killing of Iran’s religious leader, prompting Israeli attacks and ground invasions across Lebanon.
Israel and Lebanon began direct negotiations in April, and the fourth round is expected to be held next week.
