- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp says control of the Strait of Hormuz has now “returned to its previous state” because of the US’s continuing blockade of Iranian ports.
- US President Donald Trump says the naval blockade will “remain in full force” until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete”.
- Earlier Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait is “completely open” to all commercial vessels, “in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon” and “on the coordinated route as already announced”.
- Trump said Israel is “prohibited” from bombing Lebanon as the first day of a 10-day ceasefire in the country saw tens of thousands of people return to homes they were forced to flee during weeks of Israeli attacks.
‘Iran believes it has the upper hand’
Iranian professor Mostafa Khoshcheshm says President Trump’s contradictory statements last night convinced Tehran it would not find “a trustworthy partner for any kind of deal”, and as long as the US acts this way, “Iran will continue the war”.
On the broader mood in Tehran, Khoshcheshm said the Iranian armed forces are “completely ready”, and millions of people taking to the streets every night are demanding continuation of “resistance”.
“Iran believes it has the upper hand and that this must be established in any future confrontation,” he told Al Jazeera.
Hellbound and Down 