The geopolitical tension between the United States and Iran has reached a new critical point. American President Donald Trump has once again published a map on his social network Truth Social, on which the strategic Strait of Hormuz is marked as "new US territory". His action comes just days after the expiration of the 60-day deadline for negotiations on the interim agreement between the two countries, which ended without reaching a final deal.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded sharply in a televised address. He said that Washington had wrongly predicted a quick collapse of the Islamic Republic. "The enemy calculated that if Iran fell, it would become Venezuela", emphasized Pezeshkian, referring to the severe economic crisis in the South American country. He added that his country has amazed the world with its resilience and solidarity.
Trump's map and the oil market
The Strait of Hormuz is the most important maritime corridor for the transfer of energy resources, through which about a fifth of the world's oil traffic passes. According to publications in international media such as Forbes (forbes.com), Trump insists that the strait is now “open and functioning“, and the US Navy maintains a complete blockade of Iranian ports. The White House unofficially commented that the image does not have the force of a legal declaration, but Iran has already warned neighboring countries not to join the “economic war” of the US.
Experts quoted by Al-Jazeera (aljazeera.com) note that the new threats of economic sanctions and Trump's unilateral claims have already caused a new surge in crude oil prices on international markets markets.
Iran insists on lifting the blockade
Tehran refuses to resume normal shipping through the strait until the US meets several key conditions. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced that Iran is insisting on:
Lifting the naval blockade over Iranian ports. Remove all oil sanctions. Releasing frozen Iranian financial assets abroad.Although Pezeshkian suggested in statements to Deutsche Welle (dw.com) that the time is right for negotiations from a position of strength, Trump categorically denied that any diplomatic meetings with the Islamic Republic are currently taking place or are planned.