'Will close Strait of Hormuz again'; Iran responds to US President Donald Trump's threat

TEHRAN: Iran threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz again if the US naval blockade continues. Iran's warning comes after US President Donald Trump threatened not to lift the blockade until a peace deal is reached and to resume bombing if negotiations fail.

Iran claimed that any country would need its permission and a special route to travel through the strait. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned Trump through an email. Iran's Foreign Ministry has also denied Trump's claims regarding the transfer of Iran's uranium stockpile to the US.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier said that travel through the designated route is permissible in accordance with the ceasefire in Lebanon. In response, Trump stated that the naval blockade of the Strait will remain in place until the deal with Iran is completed. Trump also said that the US may start dropping bombs again if a deal is not reached. Following this, Araghchi stated that travel through Hormuz should only be carried out through the designated route with Iran's permission.

Ghalibaf denied the seven statements Trump made in an hour and said that the war cannot be won with lies.

“Trump made seven claims in an hour. All seven of those claims were false. They could not win the war with lies. They are not going to get anywhere in peace talks. If the blockade continues, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open. It is not social media that decides whether to open or close the Strait,” Ghalibaf wrote.

Trump had claimed that Iran would remove enriched uranium from its nuclear facilities and transfer it to the United States. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry denied this claim, stating that Iran's uranium stockpile would not be transferred anywhere and that such an issue had not been raised in the talks.

Hormuz is a crucial route for transiting oil, including to India. The closure of the Strait following the war with the United States has led to a significant increase in global petrol and diesel prices. Natural gas is also in severe shortage.