Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global economies including the United Kingdom's, must end as part of any agreement to conclude the war, Donald Trump has declared. The US president insisted the strategic Gulf waterway had to 'open immediately' if a deal was to be reached.
Trump's Stance on Negotiations
Despite previously giving Tehran 'a limited period of time' to strike a deal after calling off fresh attacks, Mr Trump stated he was now 'in no hurry.' However, he maintained the threat of further military action, cautioning that the US would 'do some things that are a little bit nasty' if current negotiations falter.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the US Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut, Mr Trump remarked on Iran: 'Everything's gone. Their navy's gone. Their air force is gone. Just about everything. The only question is, do we go and finish it up, or are they going to be signing a document? Let's see what happens.' He added, 'People don't want them to have a nuclear weapon, and they will not have a nuclear weapon, and they want to make a deal so badly.'
International Reactions
Meanwhile, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting in Beijing, accused the US and Israel of breaking international law by attacking their ally Iran. They expressed their 'resolute opposition to hegemonism and unilateralism.' This criticism came just days after Mr Trump's visit to China.
Strait of Hormuz Stand-off
The Strait of Hormuz has become the focal point of a stand-off between the US and Iran, with clashes testing the fragile Middle East ceasefire. Since the conflict began, Tehran has virtually shut off the vital shipping route, causing petrol prices to soar and prompting the US to impose its own blockade of Iranian ports. In the latest confrontation, US marines boarded and diverted an Iranian-flagged oil tanker suspected of attempting to breach the blockade.
Referring to any prospective deal, Mr Trump said: 'The strait would have to open immediately.' He added: 'I'm in no hurry.' The president told reporters: 'We're in the final stages of Iran. We'll see what happens. Either have a deal or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won't happen.'
Iran's Warning
In response, Iran's hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned it will widen the war 'beyond the region' if military strikes against the country are renewed, threatening that its 'crushing blows will bring you to ruin in places you cannot even imagine.'
