Iran’s foreign minister said mistrust of Washington is blocking diplomacy as Trump claimed U.S. control of the Strait of Hormuz and touted military gains.
Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that Tehran “cannot trust the Americans at all,” casting doubt on prospects for a negotiated settlement as President Trump asserted that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz and claimed major damage to Iran’s military.
The dueling remarks underscored how fragile the diplomatic opening remains after weeks of conflict and a ceasefire that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described as “shaky.” The Strait of Hormuz, a critical Gulf shipping route, remains at the center of the dispute, with disruptions already pressuring oil and gas markets and energy importers.
Speaking at a news conference in New Delhi during a BRICS meeting, Araghchi said Iran was trying to preserve the ceasefire “to give diplomacy a chance” and described mistrust of the United States as the main barrier to any talks. He said any agreement would have to be precise and clearly defined before Tehran could accept it.
Araghchi also said the Strait of Hormuz is open and that vessels can pass, except those belonging to countries Iran considers to be at war with it. In a separate account of his remarks, he said Tehran would only accept a “fair and balanced” deal.
Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, gave a sharply different account of the balance of power. “We control the Strait,” he said, adding that the U.S. blockade had been effective and that Iran had “done no business.”
The president also said, “We wiped out their armed forces, essentially,” a claim that was not independently verified in the supplied reports. He suggested the U.S. might still need to do “a little cleanup work” after what he described as a monthlong ceasefire.
Trump said Xi “feels strongly” that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and wants the strait opened. The president added that he could accept a 20-year suspension of Iran’s nuclear program only if Tehran made what he called a real commitment.
The wider regional fallout continued to draw in other governments. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said after a call with Trump that Iran must return to the negotiating table, open the Strait of Hormuz and not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visiting the United Arab Emirates, called keeping Hormuz “free, open and safe” a top priority as India faced higher gas and diesel prices.
Financial markets also reflected the tension. U.S. stocks fell from record levels Friday as higher oil prices rattled investors, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq all down in midday trading.
The immediate path for diplomacy remains uncertain. Iran says it is leaving room for negotiations but does not trust Washington; Trump says the U.S. is controlling the pressure campaign and wants firm nuclear concessions. Whether those positions can be brought into the same negotiating framework is the question now hanging over the ceasefire.
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