‘Situation is not good…’: Iran representative says some ships allowed to pass Hormuz

West Asia war: Some ships are being allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz but the situation is not good, said Dr Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, Representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India. He also said that it is the US who left the negotiation table, and not Iran. 

"This belongs to all countries and not just the USA. Before the war the strait was open and all countries were benefiting from it. Because of the war, a lot of conflict and security risks emerged. We want this strait to be open, but the situation is not good now and some ships are being allowed to pass through it,” said Ilahi to reporters. 

He said world leaders and people who are looking for peace and justice must be asked to put their voices together to stop the war. “What are the American ships doing in the Persian Gulf? They must leave it. We can provide security to all ships,” he said.

Speaking about the negotiations between the US and Iran, Ilahi said, "We never left the negotiating table, they (US) left it. We are ready for negotiations, but based on rationality, dignity, humanity and observation of our rights. The US asked for a lot of things. They said they don’t want 90 per cent, they don’t want 95 per cent, they want 100 per cent."

The US military announced it will begin a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas starting Monday following the unsuccessful talks over the weekend. The negotiations, held in Islamabad from Saturday into early Sunday, were the first direct US-Iranian meeting in over ten years and the highest-level discussions since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. 

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They took place shortly after a ceasefire began on Tuesday, intended to halt six weeks of fighting that caused thousands of deaths across the Gulf, disrupted energy supplies, and raised concerns over a wider regional conflict.

The US Central Command said the blockade, effective from 10 am Eastern Time (7:30 pm IST) on Monday, will apply impartially to vessels of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

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However, vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports will not face impediments, the US military stated. Additional guidance for commercial mariners will be issued through a formal notice before the blockade begins.

Trump added on Sunday that US forces would intercept every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran.