Washington/Madrid, Apr 1 (EFE).- US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran had asked for a ceasefire and that Washington would consider the request only after the Strait of Hormuz was reopened, a claim swiftly rejected by Tehran as «false and unfounded.»
“Iran’s new regime president, much less radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social, without elaborating on who from the Iranian leadership had sought truce.
“Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he warned.
Trump also announced plans to deliver an “important” address to the nation at 9:00 p.m. Washington time (0100 GMT Thursday), amid growing speculation about a possible shift in the conflict.
Iran, however, quickly denied the assertion. The Iranian embassy in Spain said Tehran “officially” rejects Trump’s claim and described it as inaccurate, while attaching a screenshot of the US president’s post.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also dismissed the remarks, telling state media that Trump’s statement about a ceasefire request was “false and unfounded.”
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the standoff. Iran has blocked the strategic waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil flows, in response to US and Israeli attacks, while Trump has urged allies to help reopen the route.
On Tuesday, Trump said he expected the United States to “retire” from Iran within “two or three weeks,” arguing that the objectives of the military campaign launched on Feb. 28, including preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, were being achieved.
After unsuccessfully attempting to form a military coalition to reopen the strait, Trump suggested the issue was no longer Washington’s responsibility and urged NATO members and Asian countries to step in.
In a separate interview published Wednesday by The Telegraph, Trump also said he did not rule out withdrawing the United States from NATO, which he described as a “paper tiger,” underscoring tensions with allies reluctant to join the conflict.
The conflicting claims highlight mounting uncertainty over the trajectory of the war, now entering its second month. EFE
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