President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no talks with Iran were underway or scheduled, while asserting that the Strait of Hormuz was open and the U.S. naval blockade remained in effect.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the blockade remained “in full force and effect.” He also claimed that all water mines had been removed or detonated.
Trump provided no evidence in the post to support the mine-removal claim. Virginia Times could not independently verify that the waterway was fully open or that all mines had been cleared.
Trump’s account conflicts with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who said earlier Tuesday that the strait would remain closed until Washington met Tehran’s demands. Those demands included ending the naval blockade and sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets and halting military operations.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump posted a graphic labeling the Strait of Hormuz “NEW U.S. Territory.” The image followed Trump’s Monday statement that he favored declaring the waterway U.S. territory and that Washington controlled it through the blockade.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected that depiction as a “delusion.” Iran and Oman have continued separate negotiations over navigation arrangements in the strait.
This is a developing story. Virginia Times will update as information becomes available.
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