Regime’s media mocks Trump’s climbdown; Israel still mum after US announces deal is imminent; Saudis confirm pushing Trump to hold off attacks; Iranian armed forces remain ‘on high alert’.
Iranian semi-official news agencies on Sunday denied US President Donald Trump’s claim hours earlier that Tehran had asked the US to hold off on any attack, and also negated reports that it had agreed to a deal that would divide control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Mehr news agency on Sunday denied the claim by Trump — made as he announced that he had called off strikes since “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to” — that the Islamic Republic asked the United States to refrain from conducting new strikes. Citing military officials, the agency said the allegation “was nothing but a new lie” and that the Iranian armed forces were “on high alert and ready for any eventuality.”
Other Iranian media outlets mocked Trump for the climbdown, with Kayhan saying he “backed away from his positions once again, after about a week of boasting and threats against Iran, claiming that an agreement was close.” Echoed semi-official media outlet Mehr: “Trump once again backed away from his hollow threats and presented his retreat to the world as a favor.” Israel’s Channel 12 news reported Sunday that Trump called off the strikes after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi agreed to a compromise deal on opening up the Strait of Hormuz. According to the report, based on two diplomats familiar with the situation, a compromise deal put together by Qatar and the US would see ships enter the Persian Gulf on the Iranian-controlled side of the strait and exit via the Omani side.
Oman agreed to the deal but sought assurances that the agreement would be respected by Iran’s hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the Qataris are attempting to secure, according to the report. The report made no mention of fees for transiting the strait, which has been a major sticking point. But Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday quoted a member of the country’s negotiating team saying that the Israeli media report was “false.”
Fars also quoted the official as saying that “as long as the United States maintains its hostile actions, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed” to any ship that does not coordinate with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The hardline body is seen as a significant obstacle to reaching a deal and there are questions regarding how much it is aligned with Iranian diplomats trying to negotiate with the US. Iran has blockaded Hormuz since the start of the war, requiring vessels to obtain permission and pay transit fees before using the waterway. (Read More)
