TEHRAN — After days of drama and threats, U.S. President Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire, but Iranian authorities say they do not believe him. Iran said the United States was using the extension as cover to prepare new attacks on the country.
Trump said the U.S. naval blockade of Iran would continue even with the extended ceasefire. Iran has described the blockade as an act of war, and the country has made clear it will not lift its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The closure of the strait has caused energy shortages worldwide.
Trump issued a stern warning on Tuesday, saying Iran could be attacked at any time if it did not reach a deal. In an interview with CNBC News, the U.S. president said: “Our soldiers are eagerly waiting to go to war again.”
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran was fully ready to fight again and that Iranian forces had prepared many new surprises for any possible conflict. Tasnim did not give details of what those surprises were.
“At the start of any new war, Iran is ready to once again make the lives of Americans and Israelis hell,” the agency said.
Tasnim said there was no prospect of Iran returning to talks because of additional U.S. demands and the naval blockade, and that Iran was fully prepared for war again.
After Trump announced the extension, tensions rose again in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had attacked at least three ships in the strait and seized two others.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed the attacks on Wednesday. UKMTO said the first attack took place 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, when an IRGC gunboat approached the ship and opened fire, causing significant damage to the command deck. All crew were safe, it said.
Another ship was attacked 8 nautical miles west of Iran, where a cargo vessel was fired on. The ship is now stuck in those waters, UKMTO said. The agency said no damage was caused in the second attack and the crew were safe.
A BBC analysis said the attacks on three ships in the strait in a single day would have a major effect on the ceasefire and could lead to a renewed war.
Iran’s foreign minister, Esmail Baghaei, said Tehran was considering a Pakistani request on the ceasefire. In a post on Telegram, he wrote that Iran would take the right and necessary steps to protect its national security and interests.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report