'Hormuz Control Is A Must': Iran Withdraws From US Deal Over New Blockade

Iran has officially announced its full withdrawal from the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States, accusing Washington of repeatedly violating the agreement reached last month to halt hostilities. Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tehran no longer considers itself obligated to fulfill parts of the truce deal, as the US not only violated the agreement but completely dismantled it, especially with the new naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The move came as the US military early on Wednesday reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports over Tehran's attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, sparking new strikes on nations hosting American forces as an interim deal to end the war further unravelled.

Days of crossfire between US and Iranian forces -- and both nations' attempts to vie for control of the waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passes during peacetime -- threaten to push the region back to all-out war.

What Iran Said

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran will exercise "full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, no matter the costs," including Oman's half, according to a report by Tasnim news agency.

He added that while Oman is normally one of two countries controlling the Strait, "for national security reasons Iran must control all of the Strait" during wartime now.

The minister added that Iran "will never request negotiations with the United States."

Trump's New Threat

US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran's civilian infrastructure and to seize Kharg Island, with its oil infrastructure, as his ceasefire with Tehran appeared to be in tatters.

Trump made the threats after announcing that the U.S. was preparing for a second night of strikes against Iran after Iranian attacks on American military sites in the Gulf.

If the U.S. has to, Trump said, it will take out Iran's electric plants and desalinization plants. He said Tuesday's strikes included attacks on Kharg Island but not its oil facilities.

“Maybe we'll take over Kharg Island. We may take over Kharg Island. There's not a thing they could do about it,” Trump said.

US Blockade Of Hormuz

The US first imposed the blockade in mid-April and then lifted it in mid-June, a day after signing the interim deal that set a 60-day period for negotiations over issues like Iran's nuclear program, but talks have stalled as fighting over the strait has intensified.

When US President Donald Trump announced the return of the blockade Monday, he also said he would impose a 20 per cent fee on ships passing through the strait. But he dropped the plan to collect fees hours before resuming the blockade, citing requests from allies in the Persian Gulf.

Status Of US-Iran War

Hours after the blockade was reinstated, Iranian state media reported an exchange of fire in the strait without providing details. Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads the US military's Central Command, said in a statement that Iran had launched dozens of missiles and drones at neighboring Gulf Arab countries.

Missile alert warnings went out in Bahrain and Kuwait early on Wednesday morning as they faced incoming Iranian fire, something that's been a daily occurrence, further straining a ceasefire in the war.

The US also carried out another wave of strikes ahead of reimposing the blockade, the US military's Central Command said.

"US forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives," Cooper said.

There are at least 19 US warships in the Arabian Sea, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship with more than 1,000 Marines aboard. Central Command also said in a social media post that there are "hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East."

When the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on Febuary 28, Tehran effectively shut the passage by attacking and threatening ships. That sent the prices of oil, fertilizer, and other goods soaring.

Iran has more recently attacked ships moving through the strait on a route near Oman overseen by the U.S. military that is outside Tehran's control, setting off the recent violence. The US has threatened to reopen the strait by force -- but experts say that would require a much bigger armada, if not tens of thousands of ground troops.