Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Aug 3: Iran on Sunday rejected reports claiming it had agreed to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, dismissing US President Donald Trump's assertion that a draft agreement with Tehran included the "immediate, complete, and total" reopening of the key maritime route.
Iranian state media described the reports as baseless, while officials maintained that the strait would remain closed as long as the United States continued what Tehran called hostile actions.
According to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, citing sources linked to the country's diplomatic team and military leadership, no agreement has been reached on reopening the waterway.
"There is no agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz," a source familiar with the matter was quoted as saying by Fars. The source added that the maritime passage would remain blocked as long as US "hostile actions" continued.
Iranian officials also rejected claims that Tehran had accepted any proposal to alter its operational stance on the strategically important shipping route.
Fars reported that vessels would be permitted to pass only through a designated route after prior coordination with and formal authorisation from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. A military source warned that ships attempting to use unauthorised routes could face "incidents".
The statements reaffirm Tehran's control over the vital maritime chokepoint amid rising tensions with Washington.
Meanwhile, Iranian defence officials dismissed Trump's claim that Tehran had requested him to call off a proposed US military strike. According to Mehr News Agency, the officials described the assertion as "another lie" intended to pressure Gulf nations through intimidation.
The officials said Iran's armed forces remain at the "highest level of readiness" and are prepared for all possible scenarios.
"If confrontation becomes inevitable, the battlefield will be decisive," the officials said, adding that the outcome would determine "who holds the power and who will have the final say".
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Tehran's readiness to respond to any US or Israeli attack during a telephone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday.
Araghchi said Iran was fully prepared to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security, warning that any aggression would receive a "decisive and proportionate response" from Iranian forces.
Acting Defence Minister Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Ebn-e-Reza also accused Iran's adversaries of waging psychological warfare. He said Tehran would use the current situation to strengthen its defensive preparedness, reinforce deterrence and further enhance its military capabilities.
Trump had claimed on Saturday that he cancelled a planned military strike on Iran after Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries sought more time to finalise a proposed peace agreement. In a post on Truth Social, he said the participating parties had agreed on the "parameters" of a framework that included the "immediate, complete, and total" reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the end of Iran's nuclear threat.
Iran, however, has categorically denied those claims, insisting that no agreement has been reached regarding the reopening of the strategic waterway.