Amid the see-sawing talks between the United States and Iran, tensions remain high. Following up from yesterday, when Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that ships would use routes designated by the Islamic Republic in coordination with Iranian authorities, Iran has now said that it will prioritise passage for ships who pay a fees to pass through the Strait Of Hormuz.
At the same time, the high intensity of the talks between America and Tehran were revealed by Iran's Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf who explained how an American minesweeper was closed to being targeted.
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The Israeli military said the soldier was killed during battle in southern Lebanon. Of the nine wounded, one is in critical condition, while four others are in moderate condition, it added. The remaining four were lightly injured, it said. According to the AFP news agency, at least 15 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon in the past six weeks.
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'We Were Victors On The Battle Field': Iranian Parliament Speaker
Iranian Parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the enemy has failed in multiple objectives, including attempts to weaken Iran's air force and missile capabilities, destroy its navy, launch a ground offensive, and open the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that none of these goals was achieved, Press TV reported.
The Iranian Parliament Speaker also said that while some areas of understanding have been reached with the United States, there remain "major differences" on several issues, Al Jazeera reported.
"The enemy has not achieved its goals through issuing warnings and setting deadlines, and therefore, has begun sending messages through intermediaries," he said, as reported by Al Jazeera.
He added that Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire to allow the US to meet its demands, while US President Donald Trump accepted it because "we were the victors on the battlefield", as per Al Jazeera. "Trump did not achieve his goal of changing the regime and destroying our offensive and missile capabilities, and Iran is not Venezuela," he added, Al Jazeera reported.
Iran Says It Will Prioritise Vessels That Pay Passage Fee
Iran will prioritise vessels that agree to pay fees for crossing the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian official told CNN on Saturday, amid new restrictions imposed by Tehran on maritime traffic through the vital shipping lane, CNN reported.
"Given the limitation on the number of vessels that will be allowed to pass, Iran has decided to give priority to those vessels that respond more quickly to the new Strait of Hormuz protocols and pay the costs of security and safety services," the official said, according to CNN.
Ghalibaf Flags Tense Standoff Between Iran-US On Hormuz
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has disclosed details of behind-the-scenes negotiations with the United States, describing a tense standoff involving a US minesweeper during talks in Islamabad, Al Jazeera reported.
In a television interview, Ghalibaf said Iranian officials confronted the US delegation over naval activity in the Strait of Hormuz, reiterating that "the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the Islamic Republic", as reported by Al Jazeera.
He said Tehran viewed US efforts to clear mines in the waterway as a "violation of the ceasefire", warning that tensions were close to escalating, according to Al Jazeera. According to him, both sides were nearing renewed confrontation, "but the enemy retreated", Al Jazeera reported. "In Islamabad, I told the American delegation that if their minesweeper moves even a little further from its position, we will definitely shoot it. They asked for 15 minutes to give the order to turn back, and they did," he said, as per Al Jazeera. "The Americans have been declaring a blockade for several days now. This is a clumsy and ignorant decision," he added, Al Jazeera reported.