CELEBRITY
BREAKING: Iran Links Strait of Hormuz Reopening to Trump Leaving Power
Iran has reportedly made a dramatic new demand over the future of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the strategic waterway should remain closed until U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are removed from power.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a political adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, made the remarks on September 17, according to reports from Iranian and international media.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes, and continuing disruption has raised concerns about shipping, oil supplies and the wider economic impact of the conflict.
Iran has previously demanded an end to the fighting, changes to U.S. military activity around Iran and other conditions before agreeing to reopen the waterway.
Meanwhile, the United States says commercial traffic is still moving through the Strait, with U.S. forces assisting some vessels. CBS reported that the U.S. military said it had escorted more than 2,000 commercial vessels out of the Persian Gulf in recent months.
The latest demand adds another major complication to already tense U.S.-Iran negotiations.
The big question now: Should Iran have the authority to make reopening the Strait conditional on Trump leaving office?