The announcement from Iran is said to be a response to Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon. According to Tasnim and sources close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Iran and its allies have decided to completely block the Strait of Hormuz and also "activate other fronts, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait."
The Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen forms the southern gateway to the Red Sea and is a vital shipping route for global trade. Iran has also previously threatened to drag the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen into the conflict.
Trump: Better negotiator
US President Donald Trump told NBC News that he was not informed of the Iranian decision in advance.
"It's appropriate for them to say, because they're better at negotiating than fighting," Trump said in a brief telephone interview.
"That doesn't mean we're going to start dropping bombs," the president said, emphasizing that the US blockade of Iranian ports continues.
In a later post on Truth Social, Trump claims that “talks with Iran are continuing, at a rapid pace.”
Demands an end to the war
During the ongoing peace negotiations with the US, Iran's delegation has repeatedly demanded that an agreement must also include an end to the war in Lebanon.
In parallel, Israel has escalated its attacks against the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, with regular attacks on both the southern parts of the country and the capital Beirut.
"As long as the position of Iran and its allies on this is not met, no talks will take place," writes Tasnim on X.
