US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had spoken directly with Iranian officials who asked him "to stop bombing," even as Iran flatly denied any such contact and said it was delivering what it called a "decisive response" to US strikes.
Trump made the remarks to US media, saying the attacks launched in the preceding hours could soon be over, but adding that he "reserves the right to strike again,"
The statement came amid a fresh wave of US military strikes on Iran, the latest escalation in a conflict that has intensified sharply over recent weeks.
Iran moved swiftly to reject the assertion. Tehran denied that Trump had spoken with any senior Iranian leaders to "end tonight's bombing" or that any message exchange regarding a ceasefire had taken place, calling the claim "pure falsehood," according to Iran's Tasnim news agency.
Iranian officials said the country was "currently delivering a decisive response to the US attacks."
The denial came as Iranian state and semi-official media reported a dramatic escalation, with Tehran ordering the complete shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz and warning that any vessel attempting to transit the waterway would be attacked.
Iran's Mehr news agency reported that the country's top joint military command had instructed the closure of the strait to all maritime traffic, including commercial ships and oil tankers.
Tasnim quoted Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command as saying "any vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted" and that the route was now "completely closed to all types of vessel" following the latest round of US operations. Iranian naval authorities were quoted as saying "two ships attempting to illegally pass through the Strait of Hormuz were hit."
ALSO READ: 'Going To Hit Iran Hard Today': Trump Threatens Imminent Strike As Talks Falter
Iranian outlets also reported military activity in the strait itself, with IRIB and Mehr saying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy had struck two vessels described as attempting to transit the area in violation of the closure order.
The developments followed fresh US military action. US Central Command said operations began at 5:15 p.m. Washington time, describing them as additional self-defence strikes.
Washington said several locations inside Iran were targeted in response to what it characterised as Tehran's continued aggression. Iranian media reported explosions near the strait in southern Iran, including in Qeshm, Kargan and Sirik.
Trump, addressing reporters, signalled further strikes were likely. "We hit them hard yesterday. We're going to hit them again hard today," he said, accusing Iranian negotiators of stalling. "We were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along," he added, saying Tehran had been "playing us for suckers."
ALSO READ: 'Millions Of Barrels Coming Out Of Iran': Trump On Why Oil Didn't Hit $250 Despite Hormuz Jolt
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