War in the Middle East: Donald Trump declares that Iran wants at all costs to conclude a deal

Donald Trump, as usual, is keeping tensions high. The American president announced on Monday, April 13, on his Truth Social network, that Iranian “fast attack boats” attempting to break the blockade of Iranian ports, effective at 4 p.m., will be “immediately ELIMINATED.” The day before, he had issued an ultimatum to prevent the passage of “ships of all nationalities entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal zones,” while allowing the passage of those using the Strait of Hormuz without going through Iran. The Iranian military had denounced an “illegal” blockade, calling it “an act of piracy.” “If the security of the ports of the Islamic Republic of Iran is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be safe,” they threatened.

During a press conference at the White House, Trump also expressed hope for a resolution to the conflict. “I can tell you that the other party has reached out to us. They want to make a deal, at all costs,” the American president assured after failed discussions in Pakistan to end the war in the Middle East. Thirty-four ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, “by far the highest number since the beginning of this unprecedented closure,” claimed Donald Trump.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on “all parties” to “respect the freedom of navigation, including in the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with international law.” “Under international law, no country has the right to deny innocent passage or freedom of navigation in international straits used for international transit,” emphasized the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez.

France and the United Kingdom will organize “in the coming days a conference with countries ready to contribute” to “a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring navigation freedom” in the Strait of Hormuz.