Despite the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, April 18, which lasted only a few hours before reopening, Iran believes that negotiations with the United States are progressing. This assessment is shared by Donald Trump, who spoke of “very good conversations.”
While negotiations for a peace agreement between Iran and the United States continue behind the scenes with the mediation of Pakistan and Egypt, the President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Ghalibaf, gave an interview on state television. He mentioned that although progress has been made in the negotiations, there are still many differences and some fundamental points are unresolved.
Ghalibaf also emphasized that the United States must make the decision to gain the trust of the Iranian people. He stressed the need to abandon unilateralism and imposition in their approach to dialogue. Ghalibaf was part of the Iranian delegation during the negotiations in Islamabad on April 11 and 12 with the United States, led by Vice President JD Vance. Donald Trump, on the other hand, mentioned “very good conversations” towards a peace agreement.
However, tensions remain particularly high around the Strait of Hormuz. Despite being reopened by Iran on Friday, April 17, after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, this strategic passage for global trade, through which 20% of the world’s oil consumption transits, was closed again on Saturday, April 18. Iranians justified this reversal by denouncing the continued blockade of Iranian ports by the United States.
On Sunday, April 19, tensions escalated further as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned that any ship approaching the Strait of Hormuz would be “targeted” by Tehran. Reports indicated that several ships had faced gunfire and threats from Iranian forces while attempting to pass through. Among them were two ships registered in India, prompting New Delhi to seek explanations from the Iranian ambassador in India. Donald Trump reacted by stating that there could be no “blackmail.”
Published on April 19 at 07:10 by Enora Foricher, 6Médias.
