White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US President Donald Trump does not consider the statement by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to seize two ships in the Strait of Hormuz to be a ceasefire violation. Iran, in turn, believes that the US is violating the ceasefire.
“These were not American ships. These were not Israeli ships. They were two international ships,” Leavitt said Wednesday in an interview with Fox News.
“These two ships were captured by fast gunboats. Iran, which previously had the most powerful navy in the Middle East, now behaves like a band of pirates. They have no control over the strait. This is piracy that we are seeing with our own eyes, and the naval blockade implemented by the United States is still extremely effective,” she continued.
See also: Tankers are turning back. Tehran reports the effects of the renewed blockade
Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz
On Wednesday morning, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the seizure of two ships that allegedly “operated without proper authorization, repeatedly violated regulations and manipulated navigation systems.”
Leavitt downplayed the seizure of the two ships: “'That's two boats,' she said, comparing them to the more than 160 warships sunk by the United States.”
Iranian media also reported that a third ship, belonging to Greece, was attacked by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and “is currently disabled off the coast of Iran.”
Iran: US violates ceasefire
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghaber Ghalibaf said on Wednesday that opening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible because the US is “grossly violating” the ceasefire by blocking Iranian ports. President Massoud Pezeszkian added that Washington's “hypocrisy” makes it impossible to end the war.
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How long does the US-Iran truce last? Donald Trump has not set a date
The White House spokeswoman said on Wednesday that there is an ongoing dispute between pragmatists and radicals in Iran, and President Donald Trump is waiting for them to reach a common position and has not set an end date for the ceasefire.
During a conversation with journalists, Leavitt denied reports including: “Wall Street Journal” and Axios that Trump gave Iran 3-5 days to present its position on the peace agreement.
Iran has more resources than the White House and Pentagon claim
CBS television reported on Wednesday that the Iranian military still has about half of its ballistic missile arsenal, two-thirds of its air force and about 60 percent of its weapons. attack boats
CBS cites US officials who say Iran's armed forces are in better shape than the US president and the Pentagon claim.
According to three officials familiar with the intelligence quoted by television, when the ceasefire began, Iran still had about half of its stockpile of missiles and ballistic missile launchers. While Iran's conventional navy was overwhelmingly destroyed, this was not the case for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy and its fast attack boats. 60 percent these units are still functioning.
Source: CNN, PAP
