Iran remains defiant after U.S. launches new effort to reopen Strait of Hormuz

[0:00] AMNA NAWAZ- Welcome to the NewsHour. [0:02] Top American officials said today the cease-fire with Iran had not ended, despite exchanges [0:07] of fire in the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian attacks on U.S. allies in the Gulf. [0:12] Both the secretaries of state and defense said the U.S. was in a new phase of operations [0:17] designed to ensure safe passage for commercial vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf. [0:22] But so far, very few ships appear to want to run the Iranian gauntlet in the strait, [0:27] and Iran remains defiant. [0:29] Nick Schifrin again begins our coverage. [0:31] NICK SCHIFRIN- On the streets of Tehran today, even the statues are wrapped in nationalism. [0:39] Newspapers sneer at the U.S.'s new project freedom. [0:42] Signs celebrate regime continuity. [0:45] And posters proclaim Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. [0:49] Iran's public rhetoric remains defiant. [0:51] Today the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz [0:55] without coordinating with Iran would be, quote, categorically dealt with. [0:59] NICK SCHIFRIN- And on X, Iran's chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammed Ghalibaf today [1:04] accused the U.S. of a violation of the cease-fire and warned, we have not even begun yet. [1:10] And for the second day in a row, the United Arab Emirates said it was attacked by Iranian [1:15] missiles and drones, that yesterday hit Fujaira, the UAE's only major port that bypasses the Strait [1:21] of Hormuz. [1:22] NICK SCHIFRIN- Yesterday, Iran also launched small boats like these and missiles at U.S. [1:27] ships, actions that, today, President Trump downplayed. [1:30] What do they need to do to violate the cease-fire? [1:34] DONALD TRUMP- Well, you'll find out, because I'll let you know. [1:37] They know what to do, and they know what to do. [1:40] And they know what not to do, more importantly, actually. [1:43] DONALD TRUMP- You know, they fired them in little boats with pea shooters, you know, [1:49] the pea shooters, little boat with little, you know why, because they don't have any boats [1:53] anymore. [1:54] DONALD TRUMP- The cease-fire is not over. [1:56] NICK SCHIFRIN- At the Pentagon, Secretary Hegseth also dismissed Iran's attacks on U.S. [2:00] forces yesterday as what he called frothiness. [2:02] DONALD TRUMP- We expected there would be some churn at the beginning, which happened. [2:08] NICK SCHIFRIN- But Iran's defiance extends to the negotiating table, where President Trump [2:13] has acknowledged they refuse to accept U.S. demands. [2:16] Until those talks are fruitful, President Trump today made clear he does not want to [2:20] increase pressure on Iran by resuming the war. [2:23] DONALD TRUMP- We don't want to go in and kill people, really. [2:26] I don't want to. [2:27] I don't want to. [2:28] It's too tough. [2:29] NICK SCHIFRIN- Instead, the U.S. says it will maintain economic pressure, including [2:32] new threats today on Chinese banks facilitating Iranian oil exports, and a diplomatic push at [2:38] the U.N. to condemn Iran's straight chokehold. [2:40] DONALD TRUMP- They're not going to change their position out of the kindness of their [2:43] heart. [2:44] There has to be a pressure point on them that causes them to realize they cannot continue [2:48] to close the straits, or they face crushing economic consequences, but also global, diplomatic [2:55] isolation, which they have proven in the past to be susceptible to. [2:58] NICK SCHIFRIN- But Iran's chokehold over the strait, through which 20 percent of the world's [3:02] oil and natural gas traveled before the war, has not only affected American gas prices. [3:08] It has led to higher prices around the world, leading to food and humanitarian aid shortages. [3:13] MATTHEW HOLINGWORTH, World Food Programme, World Food Programme, World Food Programme, [3:13] A lot of people can't afford to eat the basic commodities, the basic foods that they rely [3:19] on. [3:20] NICK SCHIFRIN- Matthew Hollingworth is an assistant executive director at the World Food Programme. [3:24] He says since the war began and the Strait of Hormuz largely closed, food prices across [3:29] Central and Eastern Africa have increased by as much as 50 percent, at a time when WFP already [3:35] faced aid cuts. [3:36] NICK SCHIFRIN- We are in a situation today already because of this war that 1.5 million [3:42] people we simply cannot afford to help anymore. [3:46] We know in the next three months, if the price of oil stays above $100 a barrel, that figure [3:52] will jump to 9 million more people that we will not be able to help. [3:57] NICK SCHIFRIN- WFP predicts the number of people who are food insecure will increase by [4:02] $445 million by the summer if the Strait of Hormuz that is so vital to all shipping isn't [4:07] open. [4:08] Humanitarian organizations have tried to create workarounds to avoid the Strait, but it is [4:13] not sustainable, says Hollingworth. [4:14] Hollingworth. So we can go on different routes, but it does add again weeks and it adds serious [4:22] cost. The easiest, fastest way to do it is a resolution in the Middle East that will reopen [4:28] these supply chains that the world desperately needs. But today, the strait remains largely [4:33] closed and diplomacy at an impasse. For the PBS NewsHour, I'm Nick Schifrin. [4:38] Support journalism you trust. Support PBS News. Donate now, or even better, start a monthly contribution today.