Iran’s armed forces will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the United States (US) accepts Tehran’s conditions, Army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said, as Washington and Tehran continued to signal interest in reaching an agreement.
Speaking at a ceremony in Pishva County, Tehran Province, on Friday evening, Akraminia said that Iran’s Army, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Law Enforcement Command had improved their preparedness following direct confrontation with the US and Israel.
The ceremony honoured commanders and pilots killed during the June 5, 1963 uprising. Akraminia also said that public support had boosted the morale of the armed forces.
He said that around 130 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz daily before the war, carrying 20 percent of the world’s oil supply, along with jet fuel and chemical fertilisers.
Separately, IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi responded to remarks by US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Brad Cooper about the conversion of American MQ drones into kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles.
In an episode of a podcast produced by CENTCOM, Cooper said that he would explain how the US military “turned our highly advanced multimillion-dollar MQ-1 and MQ-9 drones into kamikaze drones.”
Iran’s air defence force also shot down two US MQ-9 drones over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported. Earlier, Iran’s state news agency IRNA said that local witnesses had reported two projectiles hitting the Suza area of the island.
Meanwhile, Qatar said that its mediation efforts between the US and Iran continued, with Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani saying that the efforts aimed to prevent the regional situation from spiralling out of control.
Al-Thani said that significant progress had taken place and expressed confidence that the two sides could reach a settlement. He also said that Washington remained interested in finding a solution even after the US midterm elections.
Qatar’s media office rejected reports claiming the prime minister had said negotiations between Washington and Tehran had failed, describing them as “false and misleading”.
“His Excellency’s remarks have been deliberately distorted by those who benefit from continued war and instability in our region,” the statement said.
It also accused fake accounts of spreading claims intended to undermine diplomatic efforts and push the region towards further escalation.
“Qatari mediators remain in close coordination with the United States and Iran to support ongoing negotiations,” the statement added.
The US also announced new Iran-related sanctions, according to a notice published on the US Treasury Department’s website.
President of US Donald Trump told reporters that his administration was speaking with Iranian representatives, adding, “We are doing very well with Iran.”
Iran’s ambassador to Germany, Majid Nili, meanwhile, criticised European countries over their positions on US and Israeli actions against Iran.
Trump also claimed in a Truth Social post that Israel and the wider Middle East would not exist today if he had not stopped Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Nobody wants to say that, but everybody knows it’s true!” he wrote.
