U.S. blockade of Iranian ports turns away another 20 vessels
by Darryl Coote · UPIAug. 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. military said it blocked an additional 20 ships from reaching or leaving Iran's ports, as prospects for a resumption of negotiations on ending the war look bleak.
U.S. Central Command announced in a statement Sunday that its blockade has redirected 55 commercial vessels, up from 35 on Aug. 2. It has also disabled two vessels and boarded two others.
The U.S. military resumed its blockade of Iran's ports on July 14 amid a resumption in fighting between Washington and Tehran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States is seeking to regain freedom of navigation of the vital energy trade route that Iran has claimed control of since the war between the two erupted in late February.
The Trump administration has said a restoration in a freedom of navigation is necessary for negotiations on ending the war to enter the next phase focused on Iran's nuclear program. However, Iran is fighting to maintain control of the strait that it seized.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told reporters Sunday that while intermediaries were in contact concerning negotiations, no talks would be resumed until the United States ended what he called violations of a June memorandum, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.
The June memorandum of understanding sought to lay the foundation toward end-of-war talks but differences over control of the Strait of Hormuz opened a new chapter in the war. The United States has been enforcing its blockade of Iran's ports to coerce it to open the strait.
Aragchi said that while Iran was not in negotiations with the United States, talks were underway with Oman on establishing new maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The foreign minister's remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios that the United States was willing to allow the economic pressure of its blockade to further weigh on Iran's economy rather than ordering new attacks.
"We are low-keying it," he said, while stating, "We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the they fact that have no money."
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