News Desk
TEHRAN: In the past 24 hours, 24 vessels have reportedly passed through the Strait of Hormuz, following claims that US President Donald Trump had announced the opening of the strategic waterway and an end to what he described as a naval blockade imposed on Iran.
According to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the ships transiting the strait were able to move with the cooperation of Iranian naval forces. The vessels included oil tankers and container ships, the statement said.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping routes for global energy supplies, remains at the centre of escalating political and military rhetoric.
Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, accused the United States of continuing what he described as a maritime blockade despite public statements suggesting otherwise. He said Washington had “betrayed diplomacy” through excessive demands in negotiations and continued pressure.
In Washington, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran was aware of what it needed to do to reach an agreement, warning that American forces were prepared for military action if diplomacy failed.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said any easing of restrictions would be gradual, suggesting that changes to maritime pressure would not happen immediately.
Meanwhile, Iranian MP Ali Reza Salimi said a proposal on Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz would soon be presented to parliament. He argued that the strait was of greater strategic importance to Iran than “dozens of nuclear weapons” and insisted that Tehran would not compromise on its control or management.
