Iran says it is ‘far’ from peace deal with US, as Strait of Hormuz closed again

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has said that while some progress has been made in talks with the United States, both sides remain “far from” reaching a peace agreement.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump said “very good discussions” were under way with Iran and insisted that Tehran would not be allowed to “blackmail” Washington over the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until US sanctions on Iranian shipping and ports are lifted.

The United States Central Command said on social media that sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD-47) are conducting maritime interdiction operations in the Arabian Sea.

Source: BBC