In the early hours of the 18th, Iranian Parliament Speaker Qalibaf stated on social media that the seven statements made by U.S. President Trump on social media within the span of one hour were “all untrue.” He added that the U.S. has failed to win the war through lies, and that they are also destined to gain nothing in negotiations.
He emphasized that if the U.S. continues to blockade Iranian ports, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open.
He stated that passage through the Strait of Hormuz must follow designated routes and be authorized by Iran. Whether the strait remains open and the relevant rules and regulations will be determined by the situation on the ground, not by social media posts.
Qalibaf said that media warfare and public opinion manipulation are important components of war, but the Iranian people will not be influenced by such tactics.
On the 17th, Iranian Foreign Minister Aragchi announced that, in view of the ceasefire reached between Lebanon and Israel, Iran will keep the Strait of Hormuz open to all commercial vessels during the ceasefire. Trump then posted several updates on social media to confirm this, but also stated that the U.S. will continue its maritime blockade against Iran “until all our transactions with Iran are one hundred percent complete,” and claimed that Iran has agreed never to close the Strait of Hormuz again, adding that Iran has already cleared, or is in the process of clearing, all naval mines with American assistance.