US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, has claimed that Iran had sought a ceasefire as the West Asia conflict entered a third month.
Referring to "Iran’s New Regime President," Trump said Tehran had reached out to the US seeking a ceasefire, adding that Washington would only consider it if the Strait of Hormuz is "open, free and clear."
Tehran has not responded to Trump's claims yet
It was not immediately clear who Trump was referring to, as there has been no change in Iran's President. Trump however, described the “new regime president” as “much less radicalised and far more intelligent than his predecessors."
In the same post, Trump also issued a warning, saying that until a ceasefire is reached, the US will blast Iran "back to the Stone Ages."
Shortly after, Iran's Revolutionary Guards dismissed Trump's claims and said the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is "firmly and dominantly" under its control and "will not be opened to the enemies of this nation by the ridiculous displays of the US President."
Trump, who is scheduled to address the nation later in the day, said he could walk away from the war in two to three weeks once he felt confident Iran would not be able to build a nuclear weapon — even if Tehran does not agree to a ceasefire.
That raised the possibility that the U.S. could withdraw without any guarantee from Iran that it would stop bombing its Gulf Arab neighbors or release its grip on the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday said that his country had the "necessary will" to end the war but was seeking guarantees for a lasting peace.
A fifth of the world’s traded oil passes through the strait in peacetime and Tehran’s stranglehold, along with its strikes on energy infrastructure in the region, has caused oil prices to skyrocket, with far-reaching consequences for the global economy. Even if the strait were to reopen quickly, some effects like higher food prices could persist for months or longer.
It’s also not clear what Israel, which began bombing Iran alongside the U.S. on February 28, would do if the U.S. pulls out without a deal. It also leaves open the question of what Iran might do with the highly enriched uranium still in its stockpiles.
Trump’s comments offered another mixed signal from the American leader who has offered shifting objectives for the war and repeatedly said it could be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of additional U.S. troops are currently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds about the purpose of their deployment.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
