On Saturday, Iran renewed its adherence to its strategic options in the face of American pressure, stressing that the Strait of Hormuz remains a key card in the conflict. This comes at a time when diplomatic moves continue as part of Pakistan-led mediation efforts.

Published on: 04/25/2026 - 22:37

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard confirmed on Saturday that controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil and gas supplies, is a “firm strategy” for Tehran in its dispute with the United States.

The Guard said in a statement: “Controlling the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining its deterrent effects on America and the White House’s supporters in the region is a firm strategy” for Iran.

The Iranian Armed Forces warned that they would respond if the United States continued its siege of the Islamic Republic’s ports, describing the American army’s practices in the region as “robbery” and “piracy.”

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that his country is waiting to show whether the United States is serious about reaching a diplomatic settlement to the war in the Middle East, with his arrival in Muscat coming from Pakistan, which is leading the mediation efforts.

“A very productive visit to Pakistan, whose good intentions and fraternal efforts to restore peace in our region,” Araqchi wrote on the X platform. “I presented Iran’s view on a framework...to end the war on Iran permanently. We have to see if the United States is really serious about diplomacy.”

Araqchi left Islamabad after concluding his visit amid efforts to hold a new round of negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Canceling the visit of Trump's envoys to Pakistan

Shortly after his departure, US President Donald Trump announced the cancellation of the visit of his envoys to Islamabad, which was expected within the framework of completing discussions with Tehran, stressing that this does not necessarily mean resuming the war with the Islamic Republic.

Trump said in phone calls with American media and in a post on his Truth Social platform that he canceled the visit of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“We wasted a lot of time traveling, and a lot of work!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Stressing that no one knows who is in charge of leadership in Iran, he said, "There is tremendous infighting and a state of confusion within their so-called leadership. No one knows who is in charge, including themselves."

He explained in a call with Fox News, "I told them: No, you will not make an 18-hour trip to get there. We have all the papers. They can call us whenever they want, but you will no longer make 18-hour trips to sit (around a table) and talk about nothing."

When asked if canceling the visit meant resuming the war, Trump responded to the Axios news site, "No, it does not mean that. We have not thought about that yet."

In statements at Palm Beach Airport in Florida before boarding the presidential plane to return to Washington, Trump was asked by reporters about what prompted him to change his mind about sending his envoys.

He replied, "Nothing. All that matters is that they presented us with a document that should have been better than it was. What is interesting is that as soon as I canceled (the visit), in less than ten minutes, they presented a new, better document," without providing details.

He reiterated Washington's position that Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons.

Average minesweeper

A German minesweeper will soon be stationed in the Mediterranean Sea in preparation for the possibility of assuming a mission in the Strait of Hormuz after the end of the war in the Gulf, according to what the Ministry of Defense in Berlin reported on Saturday.

A spokeswoman for the German Ministry of Defense explained that the ship "Fulda" of the German Navy will be stationed "in the coming days" within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

She added that the goal is to make "a significant and prominent contribution to an international coalition aimed at protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

Several countries “not participating in the war” announced in mid-April their readiness for a “neutral” mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, which the United States announced last week that it was clearing mines in with Tehran, without the Islamic Republic confirming this information.

Netanyahu threatens Hezbollah

In Lebanon, the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is wavering, two days after Trump announced its extension for three weeks, and spoke in an optimistic tone about the prospects for peace between the two countries following an ambassadorial negotiation session held at the White House.

Six people were killed in Israeli raids on southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health, bringing to 12 the number of people killed in similar strikes since Friday.

For its part, the Israeli army said that it targeted Hezbollah members and observed “flagrant” violations of the truce. He pointed in particular to monitoring a “suspicious air target” launched towards the Hebrew state, and drones launched towards his forces in southern Lebanon.

Subsequently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had issued instructions to attack Hezbollah targets. A brief statement issued by his office said that the Prime Minister ordered the army to “vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.”

On Saturday, the Israeli army issued a new warning to residents not to return to dozens of villages located within the “yellow line” extending 10 kilometers deep along the border from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the eastern Lebanon mountain range bordering Syria in the east.

France 24/AFP/Reuters

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