Semi-official Iranian news agencies published a chart on Thursday suggesting that Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard had laid naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz during the war. This report may be intended to pressure the US amid uncertainty surrounding a two-week truce reached days ago and anticipated further negotiations in Pakistan, UNN reports, citing AP.
Details
The charts were published by the ISNA news agency, as well as Tasnim, which is believed to be close to the Revolutionary Guard. They show a large circle, marked in Farsi as a "dangerous zone," over a vessel traffic separation scheme, which represents the route vessels take through the strait, a narrow entrance to the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil and natural gas trade once passed.
The chart suggests that vessels move further north through waters closer to mainland Iran, in the area of Larak Island – a route some vessels were observed to take during the war.
The charts were dated from Feb. 28 until Thursday, April 9, and it was unclear if the Guard had cleared any mining on the route since then.
Oil prices rose again above $97 a barrel, and Asian stock markets traded lower on Thursday amid skepticism about the ceasefire. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 2.9% to $97.46 a barrel. It briefly fell below $92 after the ceasefire announcement. US benchmark crude rose 3.7% to $97.94 a barrel on Thursday.
Vessel tracking data from Kpler showed that on Wednesday, the first day of the ceasefire, only four vessels with automatic identification systems (AIS) turned on passed through the Strait of Hormuz. However, this does not include so-called "shadow fleet" vessels that operate with AIS systems turned off. Many of these "shadow fleet" vessels carry sanctioned Iranian oil to the open market.
Trump says US troops will remain in the region
US President Donald Trump issued a statement insisting that his buildup of warships and troops would remain around Iran "until a real deal is fully implemented."
Trump's comments on his Truth Social platform appeared to be a way to pressure Iran, the publication notes.
"If for some reason that doesn't happen, which is highly unlikely, then the 'shooting' will begin, bigger, better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen," Trump wrote.
He also insisted that Iran would not be able to develop nuclear weapons and that "the Strait of Hormuz will be open and safe."
The US and Iran claimed victory after reaching a ceasefire agreement, and world leaders expressed relief. But after the agreement was announced, Iran and Gulf countries suffered new drone and missile attacks.
On Wednesday, Israel also intensified its attacks on Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, striking commercial and residential areas of Beirut. At least 182 people were reportedly killed on the bloodiest day of fighting in the area.
Fragile ceasefire
The violence threatened to derail what US Vice President J.D. Vance called a "fragile" agreement.
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament said on Wednesday that the planned talks were "unreasonable" because Washington had violated three of Tehran's 10 conditions for a cessation of hostilities.
In a social media post, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf expressed disagreement with Israeli attacks on Hezbollah, the alleged drone intrusion into Iranian airspace after the truce took effect, and the US refusal to accept any Iranian uranium enrichment capabilities in a final agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted that ending the war in Lebanon was part of the ceasefire agreement, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump said the truce did not extend to Lebanon. When the agreement was announced, the mediating Prime Minister of Pakistan stated in a social media post that it applied "everywhere, including Lebanon and other places."
A New York think tank warned that the ceasefire was "on the verge of collapse."
The Soufan Center said that Israel's strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday increased the risk of the agreement falling apart.
"Even if Lebanon was formally outside the agreement, the scale of Israel's strikes would likely be seen as an escalation," the analysis published on Thursday said. "Israel's strikes can be understood both as an attempt to drive a wedge between Iran and its proxies, and as a response to its alleged exclusion from the initial ceasefire negotiations."
Peace talks expected in Pakistan
Iran's negotiating team for talks with the United States is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Thursday evening, the Iranian ambassador to the country said.
Reza Amiri Moghadam wrote on X that "the Iranian delegation arrives tonight in Islamabad for serious negotiations based on the 10 points proposed by Iran," without specifying who was on the Iranian team.
These points include Iran's uranium enrichment, maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz, and other issues that have been unacceptable to Trump in the past. The White House has repeatedly called the 10 points put forward by Iran flawed.
Moghadam wrote that the Iranians would come to Islamabad despite "the skepticism of Iranian public opinion due to repeated violations of the ceasefire by the Israeli regime with the aim of sabotaging the diplomatic initiative," presumably referring to Israel's strikes on Lebanon, which Israel and the US said were not included in the shaky ceasefire.