Trump keeps Iran port restrictions, Hormuz tensions rise

[0:00] The German Chancellor and Giorgio Meloni, President of the Italian Council, for being here today. [0:15] I have this opportunity to talk to you now. [0:17] The aim of our meeting was to achieve the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. [0:23] You know that this is against the background of the war in the region. [0:28] The blockade started by Iran has had very severe confidence around the world, of course, for the neighboring countries to start with, many of which are important partners for our countries, for the ships, their crews, and the countries that directly depend on the goods that are shipped, in particular in Asia, but also for the whole of the planet and the global economy. [0:54] Whether we're talking about oil, gas, or fertilizers, would have a direct impact on our economies, and in particular, the most vulnerable countries. [1:03] In that sense, recent events are encouraging, even if we have to remain prudent. [1:09] Of course, we welcome the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, and we also welcome the ceasefire recently announced as regards Lebanon, which has to be fully observed. [1:23] And we also welcome the announcement of reopening in exchange for the ceasefire, as announced by Iran, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. [1:36] All that moves in the right direction, even though we see that the straits opening requires a route to be coordinated by the Iranians themselves. [1:45] And the United States have said that they intend to maintain a targeted blockade of Iranian ships. [1:52] In any case, all of this means that diplomacy is taking us forward, and the initiative we took together today is even more legitimate than before, [2:04] because this is what's going to consolidate these short-term announcements, and, in particular, give them a chance of lasting. [2:14] So, this meeting today of independent countries that are not involved in the hostilities that are ongoing produces a very simple message. [2:25] That is the French President Emmanuel Macron speaking there in Paris, after many European and UK leaders have been meeting to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and the crisis that has gripped the world's economy. [2:47] We just want to recap the breaking news this hour. [2:53] Iran's Foreign Minister has announced the Strait of Hormuz is open. [3:00] In a post on social media, Abbas Arachi says in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, all commercial vessels have passage through the Strait of Hormuz for the rest of the ceasefire. [3:11] He says ships are to use the coordinated route already announced by Iran's ports and maritime organisation. [3:18] Meanwhile, President Trump says US restrictions on Iranian ports will not be lifted. [3:25] In a social media post, he says the Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage. [3:33] But the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran only. [3:40] He goes on to say it will remain in place until such time as the US transaction with Iran is 100% complete. [3:47] He ends with this process should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated. [3:54] We're going to go to Alan Fisher, our senior White House correspondent, US correspondent, who's standing by for us at the White House. [4:02] Alan, obviously a very busy afternoon. [4:04] I understand that since that Truth Social that I just read out, Trump has once again posted. [4:11] Can you just give us an update on the very latest, Alan? [4:14] Well, that's kind of news to me. [4:17] Let me just check what he actually said or perhaps you've got that there. [4:20] I see it's just literally come in the last minute when I'm standing here. [4:24] The US will get all nuclear dust created by our great B-2 bombers. [4:28] No money will exchange hands in any way, shape or form. [4:31] This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon either. [4:33] But the US will separately work with Lebanon and deal with the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner. [4:40] Quite what he means by that, we're not entirely sure. [4:42] Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. [4:44] They are prohibited from doing so by the United States, by the USA. [4:48] Enough is enough. [4:49] Thank you, President DJT. [4:51] So that is an interesting state that he's making. [4:56] Whether this has been agreed in talks with the Iranians, not entirely clear. [5:02] What we can see is that there is certainly a build-up of momentum. [5:07] There is something that we are moving towards, which could well be that next discussion in Islamabad [5:14] that everyone's been talking about for the last several days. [5:17] What we've had, of course, is the ceasefire in Lebanon. [5:20] We've now got the Strait of Hormuz opening. [5:22] Donald Trump saying that there's been a deal about uranium dust. [5:26] Essentially, the uranium that's been processed and is buried underneath the targets that were part of Midnight Hammer late last year, [5:34] middle of last year, in fact. [5:35] And so it seems that there is a degree of momentum. [5:39] Of course, we've always got to make sure that things actually follow the pattern, [5:43] because Donald Trump has a tendency to get ahead of himself. [5:48] I mean, he's been talking about the end of the war for about four weeks now. [5:51] But it seems as if we're moving towards a place where there could be, at the very least, further discussions, if not a deal. [6:00] Yeah, certainly hard to keep up with all of these latest developments. [6:03] Thank you so much, Ellen. [6:04] Ellen Fisher for us at the White House. [6:07] OK, we're going to go to Ali Hashim now, who is in the Iranian capital. [6:11] And, Ali, can you just explain how this is actually going to work, do we think, from an Iranian point of view? [6:17] Because we understand that senior Iranian military officials say it's only open for commercial vessels, [6:23] and it will be done in conjunction with the IRGC Navy. [6:27] Well, this is happening step by step. [6:33] So what we saw yesterday, the ceasefire in Lebanon was linked to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. [6:41] Now that these two events took place, still there are other issues to be completed so that the full opening of the Strait will take place. [6:54] For example, for the moment, there's still a blockade by the U.S. [6:58] This is what the president, President Trump, said. [7:01] And in return, there's this military blockade or closure that the Iranian official or source told the Iranian television. [7:12] So these are a step by step movements that should accumulate in the coming days at another round of negotiations that should take place in Islamabad, [7:25] where both sides should be able to put together a framework, a framework with several points, [7:33] whereas this can lay the grounds for future negotiations that could extend for another 45 to 60 days. [7:44] And the most important thing is that what the Iranians are foreseeing from now is that next round of negotiations should witness the announcement of the end of the war completely in the whole region. [7:57] So these are important points in the path towards the end of the war. [8:03] Plus, on the regional issue, it seems that there is a dialogue, a parallel dialogue going on between Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, [8:14] and other main players to put together also another parallel framework to discuss regional issues. [8:24] OK, thanks, Ali. [8:26] We're going to go back to Alan Fisher at the White House for us. [8:31] And Trump's statements also say that this process of a deal potentially could go very, very quickly. [8:38] Does that mean that we're going to see more talks coming soon or a potential extension of the ceasefire? [8:44] Do we have any more information on that? [8:46] Well, Donald Trump has clearly said that he doesn't see the need for an extension. [8:51] He thinks that there could be a deal very soon. [8:53] There's clearly momentum. [8:54] I mean, we're seeing that. [8:55] But there's nothing here public facing to suggest that the United States is about to send one of the senior people like J.D. Vance to Islamabad. [9:04] That can change very quickly, though. [9:06] I think in the last message that we saw from Donald Trump, there's a huge question here. [9:12] And that huge question is he is saying that Israel is banned from bombing Lebanon in the future by the United States. [9:18] That, of course, is huge questions for Israeli sovereignty, whether or not Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to that, whether or not the people who are the right wing elements in his government will agree to essentially the Israel being told you can't take this sort of action by the president of the United States, whether Israel is ready to jeopardize the relationship it has with the United States and in particular with President Trump. [9:44] So there are huge questions in those couple of sentences that Donald Trump has just posed. [9:50] But the fact that he says nuclear dust, that has got to be clarified what he means exactly by that, whether or not he's talking about the enriched uranium or it's something else that is still to be clarified by Donald Trump. [10:05] But certainly the understanding is the enriched uranium that has been bombed in Iran's nuclear sites in the summer of last year and many people still believe remain buried because Iran just doesn't have the capability to get down and recover those elements that were buried. [10:27] Okay. [10:29] Thanks so much for that, Alan. [10:31] Ali, if we can come back to you now. [10:34] Just on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said that the naval blockade of Iranian ports is going to continue. [10:40] Does that change things from an Iranian point of view? [10:43] Well, I was just explaining that when we had the Iranian military official telling the television that there will be a closure for military vessels to pass or tankers to pass, this is related to the blockade. [11:03] But it's clear that both sides see that there's a possibility to get to a deal very soon. [11:11] So these issues will be then solved. [11:14] Okay, Ali. [11:16] And also in Donald Trump's latest post, he said the USA will get all nuclear dust, potentially pointing to its enriched uranium, and no money is going to exchange hands in any way, shape or form. [11:30] So what, in turn, do you think that Iran is actually going to get out of this? [11:35] Well, until the moment, we don't have the Iranian narrative on this. [11:43] And the Iranians have been repeating on several occasions that they are not ready to handle their highly enriched uranium. [11:52] Why? [11:53] Because this is part of their deterrence mechanism. [11:58] Now, in case there is an agreement to end this issue, to end it, that doesn't mean to move it outside the country, at least from the Iranian point of view. [12:10] The Iranians had an idea in the past to dilute this amount of 480 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which is around 60% enriched uranium, to 1.5%. [12:25] This is a very long process. [12:29] However, they are offering that it can be done under the very strict supervision of the IAEA, the nuclear watchdog. [12:38] And in this way, Iran can make use of its own uranium in its main nuclear plant here in Tehran, the one that is meant to produce medicines and cures for cancer and things alike. [12:56] Ali Hashim, thank you so much. [12:59] Live for us in Tehran with the latest.