Senior Iranian official threatened Trump: "He should worry about his own safety, before he has to hide in a food truck"
The chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Iranian parliament responded to the US President's statement that he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz as American territory. Background: traffic in the shipping lane remains almost paralyzed, the UAE accuses Tehran of further attacks on vessels, and the stalemate between the sides continues.
The chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, threatened US President Donald Trump tonight (Sunday) against the backdrop of the escalating confrontation over control of the Strait of Hormuz. "Instead of continuing to brag incessantly about the Strait of Hormuz, it is better for the US President to worry about his personal safety, before he is forced to hide in a food truck," Azizi wrote on X.
Azizi was referring in his remarks to the secret operation in which Trump was transferred last month from a catering truck at Ankara Airport to a backup military plane, after US intelligence identified a specific threat to his plane. According to a report published this week in the Washington Post, the US feared the launch of a surface-to-air missile at the presidential plane, and in the area of the NATO summit, a person holding a shoulder-fired missile was also identified. It also emerged that Iran knew where Trump was staying in the Turkish capital, including the floor of the building.
The Iranian official's remarks came in response to Trump's statement that he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory soon. The US President claimed that his country controls the maritime passage through the blockade it imposed and that no vessel can pass through it without its permission. Tehran rejected these claims and clarified that the strait is under its control and management and that it will not be opened as long as Washington does not meet its obligations.
Economic war of attrition
Despite Trump's statements, traffic in the strait remains almost paralyzed. According to shipping data cited in the Wall Street Journal, on one of the recent days, only 14 vessels crossed the strait, compared to more than 130 on the day before the war broke out. Most ships avoid the US-supported route along the coast of Oman and choose the route under Iranian supervision, while insurance and shipping companies continue to be deterred by the high risk.
Tensions escalated further after the UAE accused Iran of attacking a vessel of the national oil company ADNOC while it was crossing the strait. There were no casualties and the situation was defined as under control, but according to Reuters, this is the third incident in less than a week involving a vessel of the company. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi condemned the attack, defined it as unjustified, and called on Tehran to stop its actions and fully open the shipping lane.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that the campaign between the US and Iran is gradually turning into an economic war of attrition, in which each side is trying to make the opponent surrender first. The Trump administration prefers at this stage to tighten the naval blockade and economic pressure on Iran, while avoiding further expansion of the military campaign. Tehran, for its part, uses its de facto control over traffic in the strait and attacks against vessels to exert pressure on Washington and the Gulf states.
Iran demands as a condition for opening the strait the removal of the American blockade on its ports, easing of sanctions, release of frozen Iranian assets, and payment of compensation for war damages. The US rejects the demands and insists on full and unconditional freedom of navigation. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said this week that the US is capable of maintaining the naval blockade on Iran indefinitely and intensifying the economic pressure on it.
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At the same time, Tehran raised a new issue with one of its neighbors and accused Qatar of holding three Iranian pilots whose planes were shot down during an attack in March. Iran appealed to the Red Cross and demanded to receive information on their condition and access to them. Qatar denied that it is holding the pilots and claimed that only the remains of one pilot were located and that it offered to provide Iran with a briefing on the matter. According to the AP news agency, this is the first time that Tehran has accused a neighboring country of holding Iranian military personnel since the outbreak of the war.
The fronts identified with Iran in the region are also continuing to heat up. Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people, including children, on the deadliest day since the understandings between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect. Israel stated that the strikes were aimed at a Hezbollah commander and came in response to the launch of a drone that wounded three soldiers. In Yemen, the Houthis attacked the government-controlled port of Mokha with missiles and drones, killing people and shutting down its operations.
For now, no breakthrough has been recorded in the contacts between the US and Iran, and no new wave of American strikes has been reported. However, the implicit threat to Trump's personal safety, the ongoing damage to shipping, and the escalation in regional arenas illustrate that the ceasefire is not nearing a stable settlement and that both sides continue to prepare for a prolonged confrontation.
