Trump Claims Iran’s President Requested Ceasefire, but U.S. Insists on Opening Strait of Hormuz First
President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that Iran's "New Regime President" had asked the U.S. for a ceasefire. However, the U.S. will only "consider" the offer once the Strait of Hormuz is "open, free, and clear," Trump said on Truth Social.
“Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he wrote.
Tehran later denied making such a request, with Al Jazeera reporting that an unnamed Iranian official had refuted the claim on Wednesday morning.
Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that Tehran was not seeking a ceasefire but rather aiming to end the war. "At present, there are no negotiations," Araghchi said in an interview, according to a translation.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for further details regarding the dispute over the alleged ceasefire request.
It remained unclear whether any request was made directly to the U.S., as Trump’s post suggested, or if it was communicated through an intermediary, such as Pakistan. Moreover, even if President Masoud Pezeshkian had indeed requested a ceasefire, he may not hold the final say: Iran’s supreme leader, not the president, holds ultimate authority in the Islamic Republic.
The current supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has refrained from public appearances since his accession following the killing of his father, former Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an airstrike at the start of the war.
Both sides have frequently contradicted each other’s statements regarding the existence and status of peace talks since the war began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Trump’s Truth Social announcement came just hours before he was scheduled to deliver an “important update on Iran” in an address to the nation, according to the White House. The address is set for 9 p.m. ET.
The month-long war has rapidly caused widespread economic turmoil and massive fluctuations in global energy prices. This instability is largely tied to Iran’s continued ability to effectively block the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial route for a significant portion of the world’s oil shipments.
Trump has acknowledged that the strait remains a key sticking point in the war, even as he and other administration officials assert that Iran’s military has been “obliterated” and that the U.S. is quickly achieving its goals.
Source : Newsmaker.id
