A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the foreground in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on May 2.
Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP
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Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be provided, under unspecified procedures, after President Trump paused a U.S. military effort to guide merchant vessels through the strategic waterway.
“With the end of the aggressors’ threats and in light of new procedures, safe and sustainable transit through the strait will be facilitated,” the Revolutionary Guard’s navy command said in an online statement. It did not give details about the new terms.
The Strait of Hormuz — an important passageway for oil, fertilizer and other goods — has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel launched their attack on Iran on Feb. 28, disrupting global energy supplies and pushing up fuel prices. Iran has attacked commercial ships that want to transit the strait without its approval. The U.S. has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports since mid-April.
Moments after the Iranian statement, President Trump wrote online that the war would end once an agreement was reached with Iran, but he warned that U.S. bombing would resume if not.
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” Trump said. “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”
Iran has confirmed receiving a U.S. proposal and said it is under review.
“The American plan and proposal is still being reviewed by Iran, and after summing up its points of view, Iran will convey its views to the Pakistani side,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told Iran’s state ISNA news agency on Wednesday, referring to mediating country Pakistan that has relayed messages and hosted talks between Iran and the U.S. NPR has not confirmed the details of the proposal.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
