Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Saturday that Qatar and Pakistan, acting as mediators, are conveying messages and remain in contact with Iran, but this does not mean that negotiations have begun, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.
Araqchi stressed that Iran has not decided to resume negotiations with the United States, explaining that there had been no discussion of a ceasefire, but rather of an “end to the war,” as stipulated in the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
He added that the 60-day period was an opportunity for negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement, stressing that “there is no such thing as an extension of the ceasefire.”
Araqchi also said the United States had violated the understanding and resumed hostilities.
Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz “will remain Iranian,” in response to remarks by US President Donald Trump that he intended to declare the waterway part of US territory “soon.”
In a post on X, Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz “was, is, and will remain Iranian,” adding that the waterway “will be opened or closed only by order of Iran.”
US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory, claiming that Iran was suffering a severe defeat.
Speaking at a political gathering at a police academy in New York state, Trump said jokingly: “Very soon, I’m going to declare the Strait of Hormuz American territory. That’s true.”
He added that the naval blockade imposed on Iran remained in place, stressing that no ships would pass unless the United States allowed them to, describing the naval blockade as “a wall of steel.”
Trump warned that if Iran attacked the United States, the response would be “100 times stronger.”
“We cannot allow Iran to continue on its path,” he said, adding: “If we hadn’t hit them with B-2 bombers, they would have had a nuclear weapon.”
He said he had instructed members of his administration to make “a short trip to the Middle East to avert a potential catastrophe.”
Trump also said that Americans paying extra for fuel was necessary “so that a very evil country does not have a nuclear weapon.”
He described Iran as “the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world.”
Trump said he had used military force “more than I wanted to,” but stressed that pressure on the Iranian regime was necessary to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Regarding his position on the war with Iran, Trump said: “I will never apologize. I did the right thing,” adding that “the war with Iran is a great service to the world, and we are doing a great job.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a television interview that the United States would impose unprecedented measures against Iran.
“Expect more announcements next week, because we will implement measures that have never been seen before in the history of economic isolation imposed on any country,” he said.
Trump also asserted that the United States had full control over the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that Washington could retain that control.
