Trump Says Iran Reached Out on Deal as U.S. Begins Hormuz Blockade
U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran contacted his administration about peace negotiations as Washington began a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Even as Trump tried to steer diplomacy back on track, there were few signs talks had resumed after weekend negotiations in Islamabad failed. Iran blamed the U.S. for the collapse and Tehran did not confirm any further discussions on Monday.
“We’ve been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal,” Trump said at the White House, without specifying who participated.
Trump’s comments came hours after the U.S. moved to cut off vessels transiting the vital waterway to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas, a step that could intensify tensions during a global energy crisis. Trump again argued negotiations had broken down because Iran insisted on maintaining a nuclear program, saying he was “sure” Tehran will eventually abandon nuclear ambitions and reiterating there would be no deal without that concession. He also said some countries are willing to support the U.S. mission in Hormuz, but declined to name them, promising details on Tuesday.
Oil rose as traders priced in the risk of further supply shortages if the blockade curtails Iranian flows, though gains were volatile as trading costs climbed and liquidity thinned. Crude later pared gains after Trump said Iran had reached out, with both benchmarks settling near $99 a barrel.
The blockade tests a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire and escalates an energy crisis in a six-week war that has killed thousands across the region. Trump framed the move as another effort to force Iran to loosen its leverage over Hormuz after ceasefire-extension talks in Pakistan failed. “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world,” he said, adding—without evidence—that “many ships are heading to our country right now” to load U.S. oil. He also repeated that the U.S. “doesn’t use the strait—we don’t need the strait.”
Iran has warned it would target ports and vessels across the Persian Gulf if its shipping hubs are threatened. The security of ports in the region is “either for everyone or for no one,” Iran’s armed forces said, according to state-run IRIB News. It called a U.S. move to block the strait “an act of piracy,” and reiterated plans to permanently control the waterway even after the war.
Trump also threatened Iranian “fast attack ships,” warning they would be “immediately eliminated” if they approach the blockade zone, comparing the approach to tactics used against alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean.
Still, Trump sought to downplay the scale of the shock to global energy markets. In a separate post, he claimed 34 ships transited the strait on Sunday, calling it the highest number since the closure began. Bloomberg reported earlier that 19 vessels passed through the waterway in either direction on Sunday.
Ahead of the deadline, the U.S. issued a notice to mariners saying it would intercept, divert, or capture vessels leaving Iran after that time. The guidance said neutral ships that have not called at Iran would not be impeded, though they may be searched for contraband cargo.
U.S. Central Command said the blockade will be “enforced impartially” against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, while adding U.S. forces will not impede ships transiting Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.
Disruption in Hormuz also raises risks for China, Iran’s largest oil customer. Beijing has called for an immediate ceasefire and warned a blockade threatens global trade. Trump said he has not heard from Chinese President Xi Jinping about the conflict, but added Xi “would like to see this ended also.”
Neither Washington nor Tehran has publicly committed to another round of talks. Former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on X that the U.S. “can’t dictate terms to Iran.”
While the U.S. and Israel have paused bombing Iran—and Tehran has stopped firing missiles at Gulf states—Israel has continued its offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group. Lebanon’s government says the campaign has killed more than 2,000 people and it remained a major sticking point as ceasefire terms were being debated. Talks between Israel and Lebanon’s government are expected this week.
The U.S.-Iran two-week ceasefire is set to expire on April 22, unless the blockade triggers an earlier collapse.
Source : Newsmaker.id
