Trump says no Iran talks planned, claims Strait of Hormuz still open

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no negotiations with Iran are currently scheduled, but maintained that the Strait of Hormuz remains "open and operating," despite a steep drop in maritime traffic and a reported strike on a ship leaving the waterway. In social media posts, Trump said the US blockade on Iranian ports is still fully in effect, but claimed all sea mines have been cleared and other shipping can pass freely. He also shared a map depicting the strait as US territory, drawing a pointed response from Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.

Earlier in the week, Trump reportedly threatened to bomb Oman if it "got in the way" of its own efforts to broker an arrangement with Iran over managing shipping through the strait, according to regional officials. Iran says the waterway will stay closed until its conditions are met by Washington. Officials briefed on the matter say the Trump administration opposes elements of the emerging Oman-Iran deal, including joint management of the exit route and voluntary fees collected from vessels.

Egypt's foreign ministry expressed hope the deal could open the door to renewed US-Iran negotiations. The 60-day negotiating window between Washington and Tehran expired this week with no resolution to the conflict in sight. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz fell 19.5% last week, while traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait rose.

Regional attacks and rising tensions

Britain's maritime monitoring agency reported an unidentified projectile damaged a ship's engine room near Oman, causing a crew casualty. Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed a drone attack on an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. An Israeli strike on Gaza City killed six people, including a child. The United Arab Emirates said two ballistic missiles were fired toward it from Iran, and subsequently suspended all trade and financial dealings with Iran, an accusation Tehran denied.