New Delhi: Since the outbreak of its war with the United States, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz which has resulted in a global gas supply shortage.
Amid the negotiations between the two sides in Pakistan, two US warships have reportedly passed through the strait of Hormuz. It would be the first transit of this kind since the war began.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said that his administration had started to clear the strategic waterway. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that US Navy guided-missile destroyers passed through the strait without any issue. However, Iran has rejected those claims and has issued a warning.
The claims of Donald Trump
Trump said on his Truth Social platform, “We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz.” He added that the US was doing “a favor” to China, Japan and France that “don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves,” and claimed that Iran is “LOSING BIG!” in the war. He also acknowledged that that Iranian mines in the strait are still a threat. He wrote, “The only thing they have going is the threat that a ship may ‘bunk’ into one of their sea mines.”
IRGC warns of ‘severe’ response
Iran has not only rejected the claims of two US ships passing through the Hormuz but its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has also issued a stern warning. It has reportedly threatened that any military vessel that tries to pass through the Gulf waterway “will be dealt with severely.”
Also, as per its statement that Tasnim news agency has carried, the IRGC Navy said the force has full authority to manage the Strait of Hormuz and that only civilian vessels would be allowed to transit under specific conditions. Meanwhile, Iran and the US have begun peace talks in Pakistan on Saturday. The talks between the two sides were held for the first time since the temporary ceasefire came into vogue after over a month-long conflict in the Middle East.
