Pakistan says US and Iran close to a peace deal as both claim control over Strait of Hormuz
Pakistan’s defense minister says the U.S. and Iran are close to “some sort of an arrangement” for a peace deal, even as both countries continue to claim control over the Strait of Hormuz and refuse to back down on their demands.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday, “Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine. We totally control the Strait of Hormuz. We have control over it. Nobody else, only us. Our navy is unbelievable, and things are going great for our country.”
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But Trump also made clear he does not trust Tehran’s representatives and once again left open the possibility of renewed military action.
“I’m the last person to trust Iran,” he said. “They’ve lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it. And at some point, maybe they’ll do something and then they get blown away. But we right now, we’re in a very good position.”
Iran, however, insists it controls security in the strait and says it will remain closed until the U.S. meets its conditions. Tehran is also rejecting Trump’s counter-demand for compensation as part of any peace deal.
Houthis attack ship in Red Sea
Meanwhile, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen say they targeted a ship carrying Saudi military equipment in the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Tuesday. That claim has not been verified, and Yemen’s internationally recognized government says the ship was carrying food supplies.
Six people were killed in the attack, including three Pakistani nationals.
It’s part of a new escalation by the Houthis, who have also attacked the government-held port city of Mokha and other parts of Yemen in recent days.
Navy fire on ship trying to break blockade
In the Gulf of Oman, U.S. Central Command says a Navy helicopter fired two hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship M/V Vela Nova after it ignored repeated warnings and tried to break the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
“The ship is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade, which remains in full effect,” CENTCOM said in a statement Tuesday.
CENTCOM says it’s the third ship disabled since the blockade resumed last month. They say two other ships have been boarded and 55 have been “redirected.”
