Iran denies Trump and makes it clear that it will not reopen Hormuz without charging a toll

BarcelonaWhile the armies of Iran and the United States exchanged attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, their negotiating teams tried to close ranks. Now, as has happened at other times throughout the talks, the text of a preliminary agreement seems to be almost ready, but an issue that has been central since the beginning of the conflict continues to block the pact: control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is reluctant to reopen it without being able to collect tolls.

The American president assured this Thursday that a "great agreement" had been reached with Tehran. "The time and place of the signing will be announced soon," he wrote on Truth Social, implying that the officialization of the pact was imminent. But Iranian authorities lowered expectations. While the Foreign Ministry spokesman admitted that "a large part of the text has been finalized," he also assured that Tehran has not yet made a final decision. In fact, the spokesman called this 14-point plan media speculation and accused the United States of continually changing its conditions.

Mutual accusations continued this Friday. In another post, Trump accused Tehran of negotiating in bad faith and stated that the terms of the agreement leaked by Iranian media "have nothing to do with the conditions that were agreed in writing." "Very dishonest people to deal with. With them, there is nothing resembling good faith negotiation. Incredible!" he added. And he regained his threatening tone: "You better get organized, and fast!"

Disagreements over Hormuz

The draft that has been leaked to the press (both American and Iranian) states that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen immediately in exchange for the gradual lifting of sanctions against Iran, based on their degree of compliance. On the other hand, the ceasefire would be extended for 60 days – also on the Lebanon front – during which negotiations on the nuclear issue would continue. In addition, the text includes a framework for addressing Iran's enriched uranium reserves. The text would have received the approval of high-ranking Iranian officials, but it would still be pending final approval by the Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, according to the Axios portal.

that have prevented them from reaching an agreement several times in recent monthsRegarding the timelines of the agreement, American sources tell various media that the understanding could be officially announced this Sunday in Geneva, where the Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance, and the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, would travel to seal the pact. However, Iran's official message is that there is still no agreement on the terms. According to the official Iranian agency IRNA, Tehran does not commit to ceding control of the Strait of Hormuz without tolls because it considers it unfair to restore the conditions that prevailed before the start of the war.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has not commented on the alleged agreement, only insisting that the main objective is for Iran not to have atomic weapons. "As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel, Iran will not have nuclear weapons. President Trump and I are in complete agreement on this issue," he said in a statement, in which he took credit for himself: "For more than 30 years, I have been at the forefront of the international struggle against Iran's nuclear program. If it were not for this struggle, Iran would have possessed atomic bombs to destroy Israel long ago."

Precedents

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz, war reparations, the lifting of naval blockades, the withdrawal of sanctions and the release of Iran's frozen assets have at other times been causes of dispute between Iranian and American negotiators which have prevented them from reaching an agreement several times in recent months. In this regard, it remains to be seen whether the leaked draft will eventually lead to a lasting peace pact or if it will remain another window for delegations to continue negotiating.

Be that as it may, Trump is feeling increasing pressure to end a conflict that, at the time he announced it, he promised would last four weeks. With the midterm elections looming – scheduled for November – the war has become a political headache for the White House, as polls show Trump's approval ratings plummeting due to voter discontent over rising prices, especially for fuel.

Meanwhile, mediators between Iran and the US are holding their breath so that skirmishes around the Strait of Hormuz do not jeopardize this embryonic pact. This Thursday, American forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones after Tehran attempted to attack commercial vessels transiting this waterway. And this Friday morning, the Iranian army stopped a tanker transiting the strait, where, according to Iranian media reports, several explosions have been heard.