Iran Denies Reports of Hormuz Strait Deal
The Iranian news agency Fars has dismissed reports of a breakthrough regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as false. Tehran maintains that the strait will remain closed as long as the US continues its hostile actions.
Hours after US President Donald Trump announced the cancellation of a strike on Iran, the Iranian news agency Fars reported that Tehran rejects claims of a breakthrough, clarifying that "as long as the US continues its hostile actions, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to vessels." According to the report, claims of a new agreement to open the strait are "false."
Earlier, President Trump announced the cancellation of the strike, citing "progress in contacts and requests that arrived from Iran and from various countries in the Middle East." Saudi Arabia confirmed that prior to the decision, President Trump had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Shortly thereafter, Iran's acting Minister of Defense, Majid ibn al-Riza, stated that Tehran views any threat from its rivals as "real and credible." He added that Iran would use these threats to increase military readiness and strengthen deterrence: "We will not be caught unprepared."
Meanwhile, Iranian negotiator Mohammad Marandi mocked President Trump on the X network, labeling the announcement of the strike cancellation as "fake news" and asserting that "Trump backed down."
On his social network, Truth Social, President Trump wrote: "The US is ready to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran with levels of force not seen since World War II. Despite this, we were asked by Iran and other countries in the Middle East not to attack, after an agreement was reached on general outlines for a deal, which will include an absolute opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the nuclear threat. I agreed, for the sake of the world's future, to cancel the attack, subject to the ability to reach an agreement quickly."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in an interview with Fox News that regime change is not a US goal, but that the Iranian regime must change and stop trying to export its revolution. He added that Gulf countries now understand that Iran is a real threat to their security and economic interests.
Against this backdrop, US embassies across the Middle East—including those in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE—issued security warnings. They advised American citizens to exercise increased vigilance and prepare for potential flight cancellations and travel disruptions due to the complex security environment.
