US Warships Turn Back After Crossing Strait of Hormuz; US-Iran Negotiations Unaffected

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a warning when US warships attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz. After the US Trump administration agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on the 7th, the IRGC's naval forces continued to control shipping in the strait and began collecting tolls. Crew members of a nearby civilian vessel recorded radio communications between the US and Iran. Iranian forces radioed one of the US destroyers: 'This is the final warning. This is the final warning.' The US warship responded: 'Passing under international law. I have no intention of challenging you and will abide by our government's ceasefire rules.' US Central Command stated that the two destroyers were on mission in the Persian Gulf and departed as planned, with no conflict or incident. It added that the deployment was to show that the US does not accept Iran's control over the strait and to prepare for the resumption of commercial navigation. US Central Command also said that this passage through the strait also initiated a broader mission to clear mines using underwater drones. Iranian media reported that the Iranian forces' response was coordinated with the negotiating team in Islamabad, stating that the two US warships turned back after the confrontation. The US-Iran negotiations, which began on the 11th, are the highest-level formal meeting between the two sides since the Iranian Revolution established the Islamic Republic in 1979. The challenge for both the US and Iran is to make sufficient progress in the next two weeks to keep diplomatic solutions open for their long-standing disputes; related issues include Iran's nuclear program, missile development, and support for proxy forces in the Middle East, which have troubled all parties for over 20 years. Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House, a London think tank, stated that Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Parliament leading the Iranian negotiating delegation, was able to ensure that the US-Iran talks were unaffected despite US military pressure on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, indicating his current authority within the Iranian system. Vakil said: 'This is the US testing the other side to see if they will exercise restraint.' (Compiled by Chen Yiwei) 1150412