Iran Responds to Trump: Strait of Hormuz Will Remain Closed Until War Damages Are Compensated

(Patria) - The Strait of Hormuz will only reopen for transit once transit revenues are used to compensate for war damages, the office of the Iranian president announced on Sunday, reports Anadolu.

"The Strait of Hormuz will only reopen when a portion of transit revenues is used to compensate for damages caused by the imposed war," said Mehdi Tabatabai, deputy for communications and information in the Iranian presidential office, on the company's social media platform.

Tabatabai sharply criticized US President Donald Trump, saying he had "resorted to insults and foolishness out of desperation and anger," and accused him of having "launched a large-scale war in the region and is still boasting about it." Trump also made a statement today, threatening Iran to open the strait by Tuesday, and later even said that a deal with the Iranian side might be possible on Monday.

The region has been on high alert since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on February 28, which has killed more than 1400 people to date, including the then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile attacks on Israel, as well as on Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Iraq, and Persian Gulf countries where US military bases are located. Iran has also restricted ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz and introduced a transit fee.

Iran has repeatedly stated that the strait is open for Chinese, Turkish, and French ships, while Israeli and American ships cannot pass.