- Iran claims US undermines diplomacy by maintaining vessel restrictions.
- US President Trump announced removal of naval blockade, but Iran questions it.
- Iranian sailors report continued warnings from US warships.
A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has accused US President Donald Trump of undermining diplomatic efforts, claiming Washington continues to enforce restrictions on Iranian vessels despite announcing the removal of a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Mohsen Rezaei said the United States was “betraying diplomacy for the third time”, arguing that its actions on the ground did not match its public statements. The remarks come amid growing uncertainty over the status of maritime restrictions and ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington over regional security and negotiations.
Iran Questions Move
In a statement issued on Saturday, Rezaei criticised what he described as contradictory US behaviour, linking the continued restrictions and Washington’s demands in negotiations to a broader policy that, in his view, shows little commitment to diplomacy.
His comments followed reports that Iranian commercial vessels were still facing restrictions despite Trump’s announcement on Friday that the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would be lifted.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei also cast doubt on whether the restrictions had actually been removed. He said there was no clear evidence to confirm whether the announcement reflected a genuine policy shift or was merely a public statement without practical implementation.
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Shipping Dispute Continues
According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, sailors aboard Iranian commercial vessels claimed they were continuing to receive warnings from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and American warships. The warnings reportedly instructed ships not to enter the restricted zone or risk facing military action.
Despite those reports, Iranian media pointed to the voyage of the cargo vessel Kamran as evidence that the measures were ineffective. Citing satellite-tracking data, local outlets reported that the ship had successfully reached Imam Khomeini Port in southwestern Iran after returning from Brazil.
Iranian media described the journey as a breach of what they called “illegal” restrictions imposed on maritime traffic.
The dispute centres on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways. Roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas pass through the narrow passage, making any disruption a matter of international concern.
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