Iran says Strait of Hormuz restrictions remain despite Trump claim of lifted blockade
Tehran, May 31
Despite US President Donald Trump's claim that he had lifted a naval blockade on Iran, Iranian ships are still being barred from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Citing Iranian sailors, the report said the restrictions remain in place and vessels continue to receive warnings from US Central Command not to enter the area.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday that the US naval blockade "will now be lifted."
In the same post, he outlined conditions for a possible deal with Iran, saying Tehran must agree never to obtain a nuclear weapon. He also said the Strait of Hormuz should be "immediately open," with unrestricted shipping in both directions, and that any water mines would be removed, Xinhua news agency reported.
Trump added that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles would be located, in coordination with Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and destroyed.
Iran has said nuclear issues are not part of the current stage of talks.
Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said on Saturday the Iranian armed forces are exercising management over the Strait of Hormuz with full authority, the official news agency IRNA reported.
Making the remarks in a statement, the headquarters stressed that for passage through the waterway, all vessels, including commercial ships and oil tankers, are required to solely travel through the routes designated by Iran and obtain permission from the Navy of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).
Meanwhile, the IRGC's Navy said Saturday that 20 vessels crossed the strait within the past 24 hours in coordination with its forces and Iran's maritime authorities, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Fars quoted officials of the IRGC's Navy as saying that the vessels were granted permission to pass through the strait owing to their countries' needs for commodities such as chemical fertilizers.
Iran tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, restricting passage for vessels linked to Israel and the United States after joint strikes on Iranian territory. The United States has also maintained naval restrictions in the strait, limiting traffic to and from Iranian ports.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, global politics is a mess. One day blockages, next day lifted. But for India, we rely on Gulf oil heavily. Any instability in the Strait of Hormuz and our fuel prices will shoot up again. Hope our government has backup plans
Interesting how Iran says nuclear issues aren't part of talks yet Trump's conditions include destroying their stockpile. Seems like both sides are playing hardball. For us in India, this reminds me of the 2019 tensions when oil prices spiked. Let's hope common sense prevails.
Trump's "my deal is better than your deal" approach is just not working here. Iran's IRGC saying they're exercising full authority over the strait practically challenges US claims. Seems like a delicate standoff where neither wants to blink first.
I'm concerned about our oil imports through this route. Even a small disruption hits our economy hard. India should push for multilateral dialogue instead of just relying on US or Iran. We need a stable Strait of Hormuz because it's literally the jugular of global energy trade 🛢️
So Trump says he's lifting blockade but Iranian ships still can't pass? Sounds like a game of telephone gone wrong. This is serious for us because we get most of our crude from the Gulf. Even if petrol prices don't hurt us directly, it affects everything from transport to groceries.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.