LIVE | Iranian regime threatens to respond if US continues to blockade its ports
President Trump on Friday reiterated the order to shoot and destroy any Iranian vessel that attempts to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
An A-10 Thunderbolt - File Image.
Friday was marked by diplomatic moves and continued naval tension in the Strait of Hormuz, with no significant direct military escalation. President Trump announced that he will send his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan on Saturday to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and attempt to resume peace negotiations. However, Iran clarified that it has no plans for a direct meeting with U.S. representatives during this visit.
On the military level, the U.S. has maintained and reinforced its naval blockade of Iranian ports. War Secretary Pete Hegseth held a press conference at the Pentagon where he called the war against Iran a "gift to the world" and sharply criticized European allies for not supporting the reopening of the strait more strongly. Trump reiterated the order to shoot and destroy any Iranian vesselthat attempts to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
The president also noted that he is in no rush to close a deal and is seeking a lasting "great deal."
Timestamps are Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Tehran's international airport reopens
International flights from Imam Khomeini airportin Tehranwill resume operations this Saturday, the ISNA agency reported, a few days after the country decided to reopen its airspace.
The first routes to be reactivated will be those connecting to Istanbul and Mascate, according to the announcement. Iranian airspace had been completely closed following the outbreak of the conflict between the United Statesand Israelwith the Iranian regime in mid-February, and its reopening is progressing gradually during the current cease-fire.
Last week, authorities reported that the Mashhad airport would resume operations on Monday. This Friday, flight records showed that at least two international routes took off from there, bound for Turkey and Oman.
Iranian regime threatens to respond if U.S. continues to blockade its ports
The Iranian military warned Saturday that it will respond if the United States continues to blockade the country's ports, an action it describes as "banditry" and "piracy."
If "the invading U.S. Army continues with the blockade, banditry and piracy in the region, they should know that they are exposed to a response from Iran's powerful armed forces," says the central military command, Jatam Al Anbiya, quoted by the regime's state-run television.
"We are prepared and determined, while monitoring the enemies' behavior and movements," he added.
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