Iran has said it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz unless it receives full compensation for damages caused by the ongoing conflict, signaling a tougher stance as tensions with the United States continue to rise.
Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei, a senior official in the president’s office, said Tehran is working on a new legal framework—possibly based on transit fees—to ensure compensation is paid. Until then, he made clear, the strategically vital waterway will remain closed. He also dismissed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump as “irrational” and “provocative.”
Trump, however, responded with sharp warnings. In a post on his platform Truth Social, he urged Iran to reopen the strait immediately or face severe consequences, hinting at potential large-scale strikes on critical infrastructure such as power plants and bridges. He also suggested that a peace deal between Washington and Tehran could be within reach but warned that failure to agree could lead to further escalation—including possible moves targeting Iran’s oil sector.
In a controversial claim, Trump said the U.S. had earlier tried to send weapons to Iranian protesters through Kurdish intermediaries. He acknowledged, however, that the weapons may never have reached them.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf pushed back strongly, warning that such “reckless behavior” could plunge the region into a wider war. He accused Trump of aligning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and driving the Middle East toward further instability. He stressed that lasting peace would only come through respecting the rights of the Iranian people.
At the same time, both sides offered conflicting accounts of a U.S. rescue mission inside Iran. Trump said American forces had successfully rescued a severely injured airman from a remote mountainous area after a high-risk operation that lasted several hours inside Iranian airspace.
Iranian officials denied that version of events. Military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Iranian forces had disrupted the mission, claiming that several U.S. personnel were killed during the operation.
Tehran also reported shooting down multiple drones, including U.S. MQ-9 Reapers and Israeli Hermes 900 systems, in Isfahan province. Iranian sources further claimed that U.S. transport aircraft and helicopters were destroyed, although these claims remain independently unverified.
According to a report by The New York Times, two U.S. transport planes involved in the mission were disabled and later destroyed by American forces to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.
The conflict is increasingly spilling across the region. Israel confirmed a missile strike in its southern area, while Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for drone and missile attacks targeting Ben Gurion Airport, triggering panic and evacuations.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had fired a naval missile at an Israeli warship off the Lebanese coast, claiming a direct hit.
In the United Arab Emirates, a fire broke out at the Borouge petrochemical facility in Abu Dhabi, reportedly caused by debris from intercepted Iranian missiles. Authorities said no casualties were reported, but operations at the site have been suspended.
The Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most important oil transit routes—remains at the heart of the crisis. Its continued closure could disrupt global energy supplies and further escalate an already volatile geopolitical situation.
