Still control strait, not seeking talks, says Iran

WAR PAUSED | After three days of lull in US strikes and Iran’s retaliation, Tehran says reports of peace bid are ‘fabricated’

FPJ World Desk

Mumbai

Iran said on Monday it remained in control of the Strait of Hormuz and had not sought to resume peace talks with the US after President Donald Trump paused a nearly two-week bombing campaign, saying reports that Tehran was requesting negotiations were “fabricated”.

Trump's decision to halt the campaign followed advice from military commanders that the operation had reached the limits of what it could achieve, according to a US official and US media reports. The official told Reuters commanders had warned they were running out of targets, while Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine raised concerns over dwindling air defence munitions.

US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said Trump had paused the campaign to create space for diplomacy. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran had not requested talks with Washington. “Reports about Iran requesting negotiations with the US are fabricated. This is not in our DNA,” Baghaei said, adding, mediators continued to pass messages between the two sides but there were no direct negotiations.

SIX SHIPS TURNED BACK: REPORTS

Iran also signalled it retained control over the world's most important energy shipping route. State media, citing an informed source, said six “offending ships” attempting to cross the strait without permission had been turned ba­ck, with one vessel reporte­dly involved in an accident. “The traffic route in the strait is the route specified by Iran,” state media said, addi­ng, alternative routes were unsafe.

Shipping through the strait fell to a three-week low, according to a US Navy-linked maritime body, although no new attacks had been repor­t­ed in the past 72 hours. Traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait remained steady.

MEDIATORS PUSH FOR RETURN TO CEASEFIRE

Two regional officials said mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan had made progress in efforts to revive negotiations and prevent a wider conflict in West Asia after three days without reported strikes by either side.

One official described the mediation efforts as “significant”, saying discussions were under way with Iran and Oman on mechanisms to ensure safe navigation through the strait while respecting the sovereignty of both coastal states.

Baghaei confirmed mediators were conveying messages but reiterated there were no direct talks with the US and maintained that the situation in the strait had not changed. Elsewhere, Jordan said it shot down two drones, while Iraqi security sources reported drone strikes on a base of Iranian Kurdish opposition fighters in northern Iraq.  Saudi Arabia also said it intercepted drones launched by Iran-backed militias in Iraq targeting petroleum facilities and Riyadh. No casualties were reported.