Iran has announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the Strait of Hormuz in two months, after the 60-day period of negotiation triggered by the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the United States. Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and that a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships through the waterway would not be welcome. The US on Thursday lifted its blockade of Iran, allowing oil tankers to move freely through the critical channel.
Netanyahu Comments on Security Zone
Tehran's warning came as the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would maintain its security zone in south Lebanon as long as its security needs required it, referring to the more than 600 square kilometers of Lebanese territory occupied by Israeli troops along the border. On Iran, Netanyahu stated that Israel would continue to adhere to the supreme objective of not allowing Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.
Iran insists the deal regarding Lebanon's territorial integrity requires a full Israeli withdrawal, holding Donald Trump accountable for Israel's withdrawal. Trump said on Thursday afternoon that the US expected a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel. He encouraged everyone in the Middle East to maintain their commitment to allowing negotiations to unfold.
Khamenei Approved Deal
It also emerged that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei approved the deal with the US and endorsed direct negotiations with Trump's team. Khamenei said Trump had used all kinds of levers to secure the deal out of desperation. Khamenei has not been seen in public since he took office in March following the killing of his father.
Meanwhile, Israeli drone attacks and artillery shelling continued on Thursday morning. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a series of attacks against Israeli forces in the Kfar Tebnit-Ali al-Taher area in recent days.
Israeli Criticism and US Response
The terms of Trump's deal drew a scathing response from many Israeli politicians and media. An op-ed in the Times of Israel declared the US-Israel war on Iran was lost due to US presidential weakness. Vice President JD Vance defended Trump, scolding Israeli critics and stating that Trump is the only head of state sympathetic to Israel at this moment. He warned against attacking the only powerful ally Israel has left.
Threats to the agreement came as a planned formal ceremony marking the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran on Friday was cancelled. Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have already personally signed the document in English and Farsi. The cancellation means Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will not travel to Switzerland, a blow to Pakistan's global ambitions.
Technical Talks to Proceed
Iran said technical-level talks between the two sides would go ahead at the luxurious Qatari-owned Bürgenstock mountain resort by Lake Lucerne. These talks, the first direct meeting since they met in Islamabad on 12 April, will focus on implementing the 14-clause memorandum, including lifting sanctions on Iran's oil exports and ensuring commercial traffic flows freely through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a blow to those hoping for full freedom of navigation, Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the strait needed to be managed at a cost. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud challenged the Iranian plan, arguing that the strait's management worked fine before the conflict and that novel arrangements should not be imposed. UAE Director of Policy Planning Muath Alwari said the UAE was the recipient of the most Iranian strikes during the war and that its engagement with Israel would deepen, as the Abraham Accords remain intact.
The statements from key Gulf figures came as Iran's foreign ministry began repairing relations with its Gulf allies, hoping for substantial contributions to a planned $350 billion Iran reconstruction fund. Iran's Economic Minister Seyed Ali Madanizadeh said the US waiver on oil exports would not produce an economic bonanza, as the war led to decreased revenues and intensified budget imbalances.
