Iranian media denies deal on opening Hormuz; outlets mock Trump’s climbdown

Iran’s semi-official Fars news quotes a member of the country’s negotiating team denying that the country has reached an agreement regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

A report in Israeli media claiming that Tehran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had agreed to a US-Qatari deal dividing control of the strait between Iran and Oman is “false,” the report in Fars says.

The outlet also quotes an Iranian military source insisting that the vital waterway remains closed to any ship that does not coordinate with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The hardline militia is seen as a significant obstacle to reaching a deal and there are questions regarding how much it is aligned with Iranian diplomats trying to negotiate a deal with the US.

The Kayhan media outlet mocked Trump, saying he “backed away from his positions once again, after about a week of boasting and threats against Iran, claiming that an agreement was close.”

So, too, did semi-official media outlet Mehr, saying, “Trump once again backed away from his hollow threats and presented his retreat to the world as a favor.”