US and Iran Engage in Tensions Over Strategic Waterway

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to send US negotiators to Pakistan for further talks with Iran, amid ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, which accounts for approximately 20% of global oil supply, has become a focal point in the conflict between Washington and Tehran.

On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that commercial vessels would be allowed to pass through the strait during the ceasefire period, set to end on April 22. However, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) subsequently reversed this decision, claiming that control of the Strait of Hormuz had returned to its “previous state” due to the US blockade of Iranian ports.

The IRGC stated that the US has engaged in “acts of piracy and maritime theft under the guise of a so-called blockade.” Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is leading negotiations with the US, described Washington’s blockade as “ignorant” and “foolish,” stating that Tehran would not permit others to transit the strait if its own ships were blocked.

In a statement on Sunday, Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement. He announced plans to send US negotiators to Islamabad, Pakistan, in an effort to strike a deal with Iran. The US president stated that he was offering a “very fair and reasonable” proposal, but warned that if negotiations failed, the US would take “drastic measures,” including targeting Iran’s power plants and bridges.

The situation remains volatile, with reports of vessels coming under fire while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. India has expressed concern over the incident, summoning the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi. The United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations agency reported a tanker being fired upon by what it described as two gunboats linked to the IRGC.

Source: Al Jazeera