New York, Aug 18 (IANS) US President Donald Trump doubled down on his plan to take over the Strait of Hormuz, posting on Tuesday a map of the crucial artery for global energy supplies showing it as “New US Territory”.
After posting the map on Truth Social a day after the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran imploded, he said: “The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”
Trump, who is under domestic pressure because of the price rise attributed to the Hormuz crisis, added that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports “remains in full force and effect”.
However, shipping has not resumed anywhere near normal levels, according to various agencies monitoring shipping in the Strait.
Attacks on ships continued Tuesday with a British monitor of maritime incidents reporting that a “bulk carrier was struck by an unknown projectile whilst conducting a transit of the Strait of Hormuz”, resulting in damage to the vessel and crew casualties.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, which also reported a similar attack on Monday, said: “Vessels are advised to transit with caution.”
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi earlier called Trump seizing the Strait a “fanciful delusion” that cannot be accomplished by a “tweet”.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said the Strait would not open till its conditions were met, according to Tasnim news agency.
On Monday, Trump threatened to attack Oman, an ally, if it interferes with his plans for the Strait.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s–t out of them,” he told an interviewer on Fox News.
Iran has claimed that it was close to finalising a deal with Oman on opening the Strait, with the route for entering it going on the Iranian side and exiting it, with each country controlling the routes on their sides.
Such a deal would sideline the US, besides challenging a US takeover of the Strait.
Besides Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates border the Strait, and a takeover of the 167-km-long waterway would have to agree to the US takeover, which would also run afoul of international law.
Trump would also face military logistical problems in maintaining unilateral control of the strait.
The MOU between the US and Iran signed with fanfare in June collapsed on Monday when its 60-day window ended, and both countries decided not to extend it.
During this period, the two countries were to have allowed normal shipping; however, it did not work out when Iran attacked two ships last month, and the US retaliated by bombing Iran and blockading its ports.
Since then, both countries have attacked ships, while Iran pounded targets in the Gulf and other countries, escalating tensions.
During the 60-day period, Washington and Tehran were to have held negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, which Trump wants ended and has said it was his top priority.
Both sides have said that they were not talking.
Trump said on Tuesday: “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled.”
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi told Tasnim there were no talks taking place.
–IANS
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