‘With or without Iran, Strait of Hormuz will open’: Donald Trump ahead of peace talks in Pakistan
us President donald trump Islamabad said on Friday (local time) ahead of ceasefire talks with Tehran that the Strait of Hormuz will open “with or without Iran”.Click here for live updates“I wish them all the best… They (Iran) have been defeated militarily, and now we’re going to open the Gulf, with or without them,” Trump told reporters ahead of talks in the Pakistani capital. He was referring to Vice President JD Vance, who is leading the US delegation and is reportedly opposed to military operations against Iran. .“If it doesn’t, we’ll close it one way or another, it’s going well. (Iran’s) navy and air force are gone, along with all the anti-aircraft systems, leaders and the whole place. The Strait of Hormuz will open on its own… we’ll open it soon,” Trump told reporters ahead of talks in the Pakistani capital.Vance is also accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The Iranian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliamentary Speaker MD Ghalibaf.Trump further said that he will not allow Tehran to do this impose transit fee On ships passing through the strait.He said, “No, we will not allow it, this is international waters. If they are doing this, we will not allow it to happen.”Tehran has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz – a vital sea corridor between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman – in retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks on February 28, which sparked the current Middle East conflict.About 20% of the world’s crude oil supply passes through the waterway, underscoring its global strategic importance.Meanwhile, Trump said a backup plan would not be needed if ceasefire discussions fail.The Republican commented, “I’ll have to see what happens tomorrow. They (Iran) have been talking for 47 years with other presidents – and we’re not talking much. We don’t need a backup plan. Their military is defeated, they have very few missiles, very little manufacturing capacity. We’ve hit them hard. Our military has done a wonderful job.” The current 14-day ceasefire is already in danger over Israel continuous attacks in lebanon Despite the ceasefire. The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah joined the war after Iran’s then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the conflict.Israel says the ceasefire agreement does not include Lebanon.