All eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz as the world waits for a new round of US-Iran peace deal talks to ease the global energy crisis, while the extended ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump remains up in the air.
These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight.
Peace talks?
It remains unclear when the two sides will return to the negotiating table.
Trump on Wednesday said there was “no time frame” for when the war on Iran might come to an end.
During an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum, Trump also said there was “no time pressure” surrounding the ceasefire, adding that the “three- to five-day window” reported on the extension was “false”.
He said there was no time pressure to end the war and the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “scares them even more than the bombing”.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post on Wednesday that his country had welcomed dialogue and agreement and continued to do so. But he said the “breach of commitments, blockade and threats are main obstacles to genuine negotiations”.
Also on Wednesday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, wrote on social media: “A complete ceasefire only makes sense if it is not violated by the maritime blockade and the hostage-taking of the world’s economy, and if the Zionist warmongering across all fronts is halted.
“Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible with such a flagrant breach of the ceasefire,” he said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had not set a firm deadline for Tehran to submit a peace proposal. “Ultimately, the timeline would be dictated by the commander in chief,” she said.
Iran’s military
Leavitt also lashed out at the media for “doing PR” for the Iranian military and said Iran’s defence industrial base had been almost destroyed in the war.
She was responding to a CBS report that Iran still had more military capacity than the Trump administration was admitting publicly.
CBS reported, citing sources, that roughly half of Iran’s ballistic missile stockpile and associated launch systems were still intact at the start of a ceasefire in early April and about 60 per cent of the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remained operational, including fast-attack boats.
Strait of Hormuz
Leavitt also said on Fox News that Trump did not view the Iranian seizure of two ships near the Strait of Hormuz as a violation of the ceasefire as they were not US or Israeli ships.
Iran on Wednesday seized two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz and reportedly disabled a third ship as well.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command said on social media that US forces had directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of the American blockade against Iran.
It also rejected reports alleging that several commercial ships had evaded the blockade, calling them “inaccurate”.
And at a time when the US Navy is a key part of the campaign against Iran, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the navy’s top civil official, John Phelan, was leaving his job – the latest departure of a top defence figure from the Trump administration this year.
China flights to resume
Iran partially reopened its airspace on Tuesday.
Iranian carrier Mahan Air on Thursday said it would gradually resume passenger flights between Iran and China. The airline released a flight schedule from Sunday to May 25 and said further information would be announced.
The US government has meanwhile urged American citizens to leave Iran immediately.
In an advisory issued on Wednesday evening, America’s virtual embassy to Iran said: “US citizens should leave Iran now, monitor local media for updates, and consult with commercial carriers for additional information on flights out of Iran. Americans seeking to depart Iran may also depart by land to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.” -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
