Tehran tells Washington to acknowledge military defeat
Iran says it will control access through the Strait of Hormuz until the US accepts its conditions; Washington warned of rising fuel prices.
Tehran urged Washington on Saturday to accept what Iranian officials described as a military defeat, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned Americans that Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could push fuel prices higher.
“The Strait of Hormuz will open and close exclusively under Iran's command. Until you accept the reality of defeat and stop living in fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade,” said Kazem Gharibabadi, deputy head of Iran's diplomacy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi added that Tehran has not decided to resume negotiations with the United States and insisted that Washington must meet Tehran’s conditions before normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is allowed.
Strategic and economic pressure
Iranian officials stress the strategic leverage of the waterway, noting that before the war roughly one fifth of the world’s oil passed through the strait. Tehran frames the control of passage as a bargaining tool to extract concessions from the United States.
In Washington, President Trump told the American public to prepare for higher fuel bills as a consequence of the Iranian actions. Gasoline prices in the United States have risen by 29 percent compared with last year.
Analysts say the standoff increases the risk of further market volatility and could complicate diplomatic options, as each side signals limited willingness to back down in the short term.
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