Iran doubled down on its pledge to restrict ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in place, as mediators scrambled to extend the ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday.
The dueling blockades have complicated Pakistani-led mediation attempts and raised questions about whether the truce can be extended beyond its deadline, AP reported.
“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said in an interview aired on state television late Saturday.
Qalibaf, who is Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States, slammed the U.S. blockade as a “naive decision made out of ignorance.” He said Iran still was seeking peace despite deep-seated distrust of the United States.
“The gaps remain wide and some fundamental issues are still unresolved,” he said.
Iran had announced the strait’s reopening after a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday. But after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the United States. Iran said it would continue enforcing its restrictions in the strait.
