Donald Trump has said the US has agreed to proceed talks with Iran after recent clashes, but said the ceasefire was ‘over’.
The US president gave the update in a post on his Truth Social platform, having earlier within the week branded the Tehran leadership ‘scum’ and said it was ‘a waste of time’ coping with the regime.
It follows recent exchanges of fireplace between the 2 sides over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which had tested the delicate truce.
But nobody has claimed responsibility for the airstrikes that hit Iran after the US said it had finished its attacks.
Trump said: ‘The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to proceed ‘talks’.
‘We’ve got agreed to accomplish that, but the US has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Stop Fire is OVER!’
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The renewed hostilities broke out on Tuesday after Iran targeted three tankers within the strait, which has remained a flashpoint.
The trading of strikes has again caused severe disruption to maritime traffic within the critical sea route, casting doubt on securing a everlasting end to the conflict, launched by the US and Israel on February 28.
The US military on Thursday moved to counter claims by Iranian state media ‘that transit through the Strait of Hormuz is barely permitted through routes designated by Iran’.
US Central Command claimed to fact-check this, writing on X: ‘Iran doesn’t control the Strait of Hormuz.
‘Since early May, US forces have helped facilitate the successful transit of greater than 800 business vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil through the vital international trade corridor.’
Nonetheless, this represents only a fraction of the traffic before the war, when on average nearly 140 ships a day made the crossing.
Ending Tehran’s stranglehold on the strait, which disrupted global oil and gas supplies and drove up fuel and food prices, had been a key demand in previous negotiations.
Nonetheless, the initial deal reached between the US and Iran only provides for protected, toll-free passage of the waterway for 60 days, pending the final result of a final agreement on Tehran’s disputed nuclear plans.
Within the meantime, Iran has continued to attempt to exert leverage over the channel, including demanding ships seek permission to transit and raising the spectre of future charges.
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