Iran foreign minister to embark on three-nation tour as US peace talks remain stalled

Baghaei said the lifting of the US blockade had, in Iran’s view, been part of the original ceasefire agreement. “If you do not fulfil your minimum commitments in the ceasefire how can there be trust in you for the implementation for a comprehensive settlement?” he asked.

At a Pentagon briefing, the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, said Trump had said the US “had all the time in the world and we are not anxious for a deal”. He said a total of the 34 ships had been turned back as part of the US blockade of Iran’s ports, adding that a second aircraft carrier would be joining the blockade next week. The blockade, he said, had gone global. “No one sails from the strait of Hormuz to anywhere in the world without the permission of the United States navy.”

The Iranians were acting like pirates with flags, he said, by trying to stop ships crossing the strait and by laying mines. “If there’s attempts, recklessly and irresponsibly, to lay more mines, we’re going to deal with that. It’s a violation of the ceasefire.” The US navy would without hesitation shoot and kill anyone in boats laying mines, he said, comparing the exercise to the targeting of drug boats in the Caribbean.

He also took another swipe at Europe over countries’ refusal to intervene militarily: “We’re not pinning our hopes on Europe, but they need the strait of Hormuz far more than we do. Maybe it’s time for Europe to talk less and stop holding fancy conferences – perhaps they should just hop on a boat and come over. This is their fight more than ours.”

Iran has so far attacked five ships and captured two in its effort to enforce the blockade. Hegseth said some transit was occurring through the strait: “There are paths that are open. Transit is occurring, much more limited than anybody would like to see and with more risk than people would like to see, but that’s because Iran is doing irresponsible things with small, fast boats.”

Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, said the US military was on standby to resume major combat operations as soon as an order was issued by Trump.

Anwar Gargash, the United Arab Emirates diplomatic adviser, claimed Iran’s callous behaviour toward the Gulf states meant it would take decades to restore trust and predicted more countries in the region would want to open political communication with Israel, since they now regarded Iran as the strategic threat. “Relations are bound to come back at some stage, but trust and confidence are different. Iran will be seen as the strategic threat for the region for many decades to come.”

He also claimed there was political jockeying inside Iran between the military and political wings, with no possibility of the old cohesive political order being recreated

The UAE has always been one of the Gulf states closest to Israel. It is in its interests to drive Saudi Arabia in particular towards closer relations with Israel off the back of the Iranian attacks on Gulf states.

Gargash also predicted the stalemate in the strait of Hormuz could last another fortnight, but said it was in the interests of both Iran and the US to reopen talks. “The tug of wills in the strait will take some time, but cannot go on forever,” he said.