Iran’s top negotiator warns Tehran ‘not even started’ in Hormuz standoff

Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States warned on Tuesday (May 5) that his country has “not even started” in its standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.

“We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America; whilst we have not even started yet,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X.

Ghalibaf, who is also the speaker in Iran’s parliament, said the actions of the US and its allies had put shipping security at risk, but said their “malign presence will diminish”.

The strait is a vital thoroughfare for global supplies of oil, fertiliser and other commodities that has been virtually closed since the US and Israel began attacks on Iran on Feb 28, causing price rises around the world.

Several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires on Monday, and an oil port in the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a large US military base, was set ablaze by Iranian missiles.

CONFLICTING REPORTS

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively closed the narrow waterway under threat of mines, drones, missiles and gunboats. The US has responded with a blockade of Iranian ports.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday’s events showed there was no military solution to the crisis. He said peace talks were progressing with Pakistan’s mediation, and warned the US and the UAE against being drawn into a “quagmire”.

The US military said two US merchant ships made it through the strait, without saying when, with the support of Navy guided-missile destroyers.

While Iran denied any crossings had taken place, Maersk said the Alliance Fairfax, a US-flagged ship, exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz accompanied by the US military on Monday.

The commander of US forces in the region said his fleet had destroyed six small Iranian boats, which Iran also denied. Iranian media quoted a military commander as saying US forces targeted civilian boats, killing five civilians.

Iran also said on Monday it had fired on a US warship approaching the strait, forcing it to turn around. Iranian officials later described the fire as warning shots.

Reuters could not independently verify the full situation in the strait on Monday as the warring sides issued contradictory statements.

South Korea reported one of its merchant ships, HMM Namu, in the strait suffered an explosion and fire in its engine room, though no one aboard was hurt. A South Korean government spokesperson said it was unclear if the fire was caused by an attack.

Also on Monday, the British maritime security agency UKMTO reported two ships had been hit off the coast of the UAE, and the Emirati oil company ADNOC said one of its empty oil tankers was hit by Iranian drones.

- Agencies