Trump says 1,000 missiles aimed at Iran if it targets him

Iran is determined to win international recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz and ability to levy fees on ​ships entering or leaving the Gulf even if it has to do so by force, two senior Iranian sources said.

Under this month's interim deal with the US to end their three-month conflict, ‌Iran agreed to let ships pass through the Strait for 60 days without charge. But it believes the wording of the agreement allows it to keep control of which ships may pass and which route they take through the narrow waterway.

It is also determined to secure lasting formal acceptance of this control once the interim phase expires, and its negotiators will not move to other areas of dispute in ongoing peace talks with Washington until that has been agreed, the sources said.

If the interim deal ends ​without being extended, Iran would start charging ships for passage in mid-August, though it has not yet laid out any list of what fees it will charge or how. Iran closed the Strait ​when the war began and Iranian officials have said authorities charged some vessels navigation or other fees to leave the Gulf.

Iran wants perpetual control of Hormuz

Any lasting Iranian ⁠control over the Strait of Hormuz, with formalities and fees for ships, would add costs, delays and risks to all shipping through a waterway that before the war transported a fifth of global energy supplies plus other critical ​goods.

Passage through the Strait was never previously subject to fees and Tehran's position runs directly counter to US interpretations of the interim Memorandum of Understanding agreed on June 17, and to Washington's stance on what the ultimate ​post-war arrangements will be.

US President Donald Trump said last week that there would be no tolls charged for passage through the Strait unless Washington decided to impose them itself. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a meeting with Gulf states that no country had the right to block shipping or impose fees or tolls for passage through an international waterway.

Iran interprets the interim deal as meaning it can maintain control over all passage through the Strait, though without collecting fees during the interim phase of the ​deal, and that while it has to discuss arrangements with Gulf states, it is not obliged to reach an agreement with them, the sources said.

Oman stretches along the southern coast of the Strait and Iran is ​planning talks with the sultanate to define transit paths through the waterway, Tehran said on Monday.

However, Iran shot at four ships over the weekend that tried to traverse the Strait on the Omani side without first getting Iranian permission, triggering a brief ‌but intense ⁠exchange of fire with the United States.

One of the senior officials said Iran would not let the situation return to the pre-war status quo. Instead, it believes new arrangements must govern Hormuz including Iran choosing how vessels enter and leave the Strait, holding the right to deny entry to any it suspects of threatening Iranian security, and charging fees for compulsory services it provides.

Iran believes it has a historic opportunity, source says

Iran is ready to impose its demands on the Strait through force if there is no agreement by other countries to accept its terms, the official added, saying Tehran would not back down even if it led to renewed - and intensified - confrontation ​with the US. 

The second senior Iranian official said that ​having survived what Tehran had seen as its ⁠biggest potential threat - a war with the U.S. and Israel - Iran believed it had a "historic opportunity" to secure a long-term advantage.

Ship-owning countries would eventually accept Iranian management of the Strait because of the growing cost of the dispute, and Washington would accept it to ensure uninterrupted global energy supplies, the official added.

'Neither side thinks they have ​lost'

However, Iran may be overplaying its hand and miscalculating how far Washington would be willing to accept what would be seen as an enormous concession, said ​Ali Ansari, professor of modern ⁠history at St Andrews University.

"The prospect of this conflict reigniting is much higher than people think because neither side thinks they've lost," he said.

Neither Iran nor the US is a signatory of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that designates Hormuz as an international strait, although Oman, which stretches along its southern coast, is.

While the waterway is split between the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, its status as an international strait under the convention requires ⁠free passage.

The convention ​is widely regarded, including by the US, as customary international law.

It is also the agreement under which Iran could claim its territorial ​waters extend 12 miles rather than the mere 3 miles off its shore under other maritime conventions, said Chris O'Flaherty, a former British navy captain and specialist in naval warfare and law. The Strait of Hormuz is just over 20 miles wide at its narrowest ​point.

"This is an intensely political matter in which most people think international law is settled. However, Iran has decided to challenge that," O'Flaherty said.

The US and Iran held technical talks in Doha on Wednesday as they seek to ‌agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official said.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff met the prime minister of Qatar — a mediator in the talks alongside Pakistan — to lay groundwork for the ​negotiations, but would not be attending the discussions themselves, the source with direct knowledge of the talks said.

The talks are based on ​a 14-point interim accord signed last month that was meant to halt the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran ⁠in February and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, whilst setting up 60 days of negotiations for a permanent peace deal.

However, the US and Iran ​have sparred publicly over the meaning of the interim pact, leading to tit-for-tat military strikes over the past week.

Iran is determined to win international recognition ​of its control over the strait and its ability to levy fees on ships entering or leaving the Gulf even if it has to do so by force, two senior Iranian sources said on Wednesday.

Traffic has partially resumed through the strait, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war.

Focus on Hormuz, frozen ​assets

The talks in Doha are structured as sessions between chief negotiators and specialists, the source with knowledge of the talks said. They began on ​Tuesday night and were continuing on Wednesday, said the Iranian official.

Iran has stated publicly that its priorities include agreeing on management of the strait and the release ‌of $6 billion ⁠in Iranian frozen assets, and the Iranian official said the current round of discussions would focus on those two issues.

The stated priority of the US is to ensure the free flow of traffic through the strait, the source with knowledge of the talks said.

Iran's state media said on Wednesday a foreign container ship had run aground in the Strait of Hormuz after entering shallow waters outside the shipping route designated by Iranian authorities.

"Hormuz continues to reopen but ​it's patchy, unpredictable, and not fully ​transparent," said Vandana Hari, founder of ⁠oil market analysis provider Vanda Insights.

The war triggered Iranian attacks on Gulf states hosting US military bases and killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, as well as pushing up oil and fuel prices.

Intensive ​diplomacy on Lebanon

Trump faces political pressure to contain the economic fallout from the war before midterm elections in November ​that will determine control ⁠of the U.S. Congress. In Iran, the theocratic leadership survived the war but faces domestic anger over a shattered economy.

Oil prices, which dipped sharply in the second quarter of the year, fell more than 1% on Wednesday.

The interim deal between the US and Iran also provides for an end to a parallel conflict between ⁠Israel and ​Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The US has backed a separate track of talks between ​Israel and Lebanon's government, which produced a framework security deal that Hezbollah has dismissed and analysts warn could entrench Israel's occupation of Lebanon's south.

There had been intensive diplomatic activity on Lebanon between parties, including ​the US, up to Tuesday evening, the source with knowledge of the talks said.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on Tuesday as efforts continued for indirect technical talks between the United States and Iran after the MoU.

Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special representative, and Jared Kushner are in Doha for discussions linked to the ongoing US-Iran process.

According to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, the meeting reviewed the latest progress in talks between Washington and Tehran within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides.

The meeting also focused on the regional situation and efforts to promote security and stability through dialogue and diplomacy. Officials discussed the latest regional developments, particularly the ceasefire in Lebanon, and stressed the importance of consolidating it.

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs @MBA_AlThani_ Meets US Envoys

Doha | June 30, 2026

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met on Tuesday with HE Steve Witkoff and HE Jared Kushner, the US Envoys.

The… pic.twitter.com/ULBbdzNcyq

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) June 30, 2026

The talks also underlined the need to build on the ceasefire in a way that protects Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty and stability.

Qatar reaffirms mediation efforts

Sheikh Mohammed emphasized Qatar’s continued mediation efforts and its support for all tracks of talks emerging from the US-Iran MoU.

He said these efforts should lead to a comprehensive and sustainable solution that strengthens regional security, protects the interests of its peoples and supports international peace and security.

US praises Qatar and Pakistan’s role

The two US envoys appreciated Qatar’s role, in partnership with Pakistan, in facilitating the course of talks. They also reiterated the United States’ commitment to continuing the negotiation process and supporting diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement.

The meeting comes as efforts continue for indirect talks between the United States and Iran after the memorandum of understanding. The discussions in Doha are part of a wider diplomatic push to move the process forward through mediation and technical-level engagement.

Iran will send Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi to Doha on Wednesday for talks with Qatari authorities on the implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the expert delegation will follow up on the implementation of various provisions of the memorandum of understanding. He said Qatar will be Iran’s counterpart in the discussions, which will focus mainly on the release of Iran’s frozen funds and the ceasefire in Lebanon.

“What will be done in Doha tomorrow is a discussion about the implementation of clauses of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran’s frozen assets, which is with the Qatari side,” Baghaei said.

Iran rules out direct US talks

Baghaei said Tehran has no plans to hold talks with the United States in the coming days.

“Basically, we have no plans to meet with the American side at any level in the next few days,” he said.

His comments came after Qatar confirmed that US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are in Doha to meet mediators and discuss the progress of US-Iran negotiations.

Frozen funds linked to progress in talks

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the transfer of $6 billion out of $12 billion in frozen Iranian funds would be agreed upon by the United States and Iran. He confirmed that the funds have not yet been transferred to Tehran.

Al-Ansari added that the issue of frozen funds is linked to the progress of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said acceptable progress has been made on ending the blockade and lifting the oil embargo.

Baghaei said implementation of different provisions of the memorandum is already underway. Tehran is taking the progress very seriously, he added.

Lebanon war remains key condition

Baghaei said negotiations for a final agreement will begin only after the war in Lebanon ends. He said the United States is obligated under the bilateral memorandum of understanding to compel Israel to withdraw from Lebanon.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also described the establishment of an effective system to monitor the conflict in Lebanon as a very important issue.

Qatar said Witkoff and Kushner will meet Qatari mediators in Doha, but there will be no high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran. Iranian negotiators will instead meet Qatari mediators on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the US-Iran memorandum, including the release of frozen Iranian assets.

US Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump has instructed officials to continue talks with Iran, but warned that Washington still has several options if diplomacy fails to produce a successful outcome.

In an interview released on Tuesday, Vance said technical talks with Iran are continuing and are based on earlier negotiations between the two sides. He said there is still uncertainty over Tehran’s next steps and that no one can say with certainty what Iran will decide.

“We care a lot less about what the Iranians say. We care a lot more about what they do,” Vance said, adding that Washington has seen both positive and negative signs.

Vance said meaningful progress would require Iran to make “real concessions” in negotiations. He said President Trump has told officials to “work the problem” and see where the diplomatic process leads.

If talks do not result in a successful resolution, Vance said the United States still has “a lot of optionality.”

Trump wants talks to continue

Vance said Trump wants negotiations with Iran to continue under an agreement that includes verifiable commitments. He stressed the need for ongoing inspections to confirm the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear programme.

According to Vance, a successful deal would see Iran permanently give up any nuclear weapons ambitions, stop funding regional terrorism and instability, and return to the world economy.

Iran denies direct peace talks

Vance said Iran’s public denial of ongoing talks was a deliberate negotiating tactic. He said Tehran denies peace talks while acknowledging technical discussions related to the peace deal.

Vance described the approach as a “Persian negotiating tactic,” saying he found it both “fascinating and frustrating.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran has no plans to hold negotiations with the United States at any level in the coming days. He said discussions in Doha would focus on implementing clauses of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran’s frozen assets, through the Qatari side.

US envoys in Doha for consultations

White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Doha after Trump said Iran had requested a meeting in the Qatari capital. Iran denied that direct talks with Washington were scheduled, while Qatar also said no high-level US-Iran meeting was currently planned.

A senior US official said Witkoff and Kushner would meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani and other mediators in Doha to continue regional dialogue on the agreement.

MoU framework remains central

The memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran took effect on June 18 after being electronically signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and President Trump.

The MoU, reached under Pakistani mediation, provides a framework to end the war that began in late February. It covers cessation of hostilities, sanctions relief, the nuclear file, the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional security arrangements.

Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal

Vance said Iran has not targeted any ship in two weeks and that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are continuing as usual. He said traffic through the strategic waterway has returned to pre-war levels and, on some days, oil flows have even exceeded levels seen before the war.

“The Strait is open in the sense that we’re seeing more oil come out,” Vance said, adding that the global economy is gradually returning to normal.

He said President Trump had ordered officials to use the MoU to help restore oil supplies before assessing the next steps.

US says it has two paths

Vance said Washington sees two possible options: reaching a long-term agreement with Iran if it changes its behaviour, or consolidating the gains already achieved. He argued that the United States is in a strong position because Iran’s nuclear capabilities and conventional military have already been significantly degraded.

Vance said Trump remains prepared to order new military strikes against Iran if necessary, but only if force serves a clear objective.

Addressing critics of the administration’s Iran policy, Vance said some voices simply call for more bombing without explaining the end goal. He said Trump has shown he is willing to use military force, but only when it serves a defined purpose.

Vance said the United States has achieved its “core mission” of ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.

Lebanon-Israel talks also moving forward

Vance said Lebanon and Israel are now talking directly and appear close to each other on several issues. He said both the Lebanon-Israel agreement and the US-Iran MoU refer to Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“If you harmonise the Lebanon-Israel peace deal with the MoU signed between the US and Iran, what both of those documents fundamentally say is that Lebanon’s territorial integrity will be respected,” he said.

Vance added that the situation has changed, but the key question is whether that change will last.

AI also discussed

Vance also said China is concerned about artificial intelligence, linking the issue to broader strategic and technological challenges. He did not provide further details on the matter.

Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran will not enter negotiations with the United States on a final agreement until key conditions of the recently signed memorandum of understanding are fulfilled.

Ghalibaf said the purpose of recent meetings was not to start a final settlement, but to ensure that the promises made under the MoU are implemented. He said negotiations for a final agreement would not begin unless Articles 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of the memorandum are carried out.

The Iranian speaker said Iran is monitoring the implementation of Article 13 of the MoU. He said Pakistani and Qatari mediators are also involved in the monitoring process.

According to Ghalibaf, Article 13 states that after the MoU is signed, and once measures under paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 begin and continue, Iran and the United States will start negotiations on a final deal only on the remaining paragraphs.

Strait of Hormuz remains a red line

Ghalibaf made it clear that Iran will never compromise on its rights in the Strait of Hormuz. He said permission for ships to pass through the Strait without tolls is only valid for 60 days.

“The sovereignty of the Strait of Hormuz lies with Iran and Oman,” Ghalibaf said, adding that traffic through the strategic waterway is subject to arrangements determined by Iran.

Oil exports surge after blockade lifted

Ghalibaf said Iran was unable to export oil during the US blockade on its ports.

“From the day the blockade was lifted until today, we have exported more than 40 million barrels of oil,” he said on state television.

He added that during the previous 50 to nearly 60 days, Iran was genuinely unable to export even a single barrel of oil.

Ghalibaf also claimed Iran is already selling its oil at a 20% higher price than before. He warned that if Iran is prevented from selling oil, no country will be able to benefit from oil.

Iran says diplomacy remains priority

Despite the tough stance, Ghalibaf said Tehran continues to prioritize diplomacy with Washington.

“We are pursuing dialogue, but if the dialogue is not implemented, we are also prepared for war and will respond accordingly,” he said.

He added that Iran follows the path of dialogue but responds with force wherever necessary.

Lebanon ceasefire tied to MoU

Ghalibaf said the MoU also requires the United States to stop the war in Lebanon. He said Iran, the United States and Lebanon have agreed to establish a joint committee to enforce the ceasefire, ensure the end of the war in Lebanon and uphold Lebanese sovereignty.

According to him, Iran and the United States have already named their representatives for the committee.

Qatar continues mediation efforts

Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani reaffirmed Doha’s continued mediation efforts.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said he expressed support for all tracks of talks stemming from the US-Iran memorandum of understanding. His remarks came during a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Doha, where they discussed developments in ongoing US-Iran talks.

The statement did not provide further details on the content of the discussions.

US President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed not to acquire a nuclear weapon ahead of fresh negotiations in Doha. Speaking in the Oval Office before signing a presidential memorandum on vehicle repairs, Trump said US officials were already travelling to Qatar for talks.

“There’ll be a meeting on that tomorrow, in Doha... we’ll see how that goes,” Trump said.

He added that the Doha meeting could be “perhaps important, perhaps not,” saying the US would find out.

Trump also said the United States had gained the upper hand after recent military action against Iran’s nuclear programme and insisted Tehran would not be allowed to develop nuclear arms.

MoU signed after regional war

Iran and the United States signed the MoU on June 18 to end the war in the region. On June 22, technical negotiations between Iran and the United States began in Switzerland after high-level consultations between Iranian and US delegations a day earlier.

Pakistan and Qatar mediated the talks.

Ghalibaf said Iran’s recent trip to Switzerland was aimed at implementing MoU provisions related to ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, lifting the US naval blockade, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, issuing US waivers for Iranian crude oil exports and releasing frozen Iranian assets.

He said the announcement of the end of the war by Pakistan’s prime minister and Donald Trump’s post about lifting the maritime blockade were among the major successes of the memorandum.

However, he added that differences were expected during implementation of the agreement.

Iran said on Tuesday it would not meet with top US envoys who flew to the region following ​an outbreak of hostilities, clouding the prospects for a lasting peace between the two countries.

Iranian officials also said the two sides must still ‌sort out the terms of a ceasefire they signed two weeks ago before they could tackle more difficult topics, such as possible limits to its nuclear program.

The developments indicated the two sides are far apart on key pillars of the initial framework, which calls for Iran to lift its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for financial incentives, and sets up 60 days ​of negotiations to work out a permanent peace deal.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Doha for what the ​White House described as "high level" talks, but Iran and host Qatar said they would meet with mediators, rather than the Iranians themselves.

Qatar ⁠said Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani was among those to meet with Witkoff and Kushner.

"No meeting at any level with the American side has been scheduled ​for the coming days," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.

The two countries were due to commence lower-level technical talks, according to Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry.

Trump ​said to be contemplating strikes

Looking for ways to break the deadlock, Trump has weighed a return to all-out war, holding conversations with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine on conducting more strikes, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US sources familiar with the discussion. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.

But for now Trump, who ​has publicly threatened Iran with more attacks, has decided to give diplomacy more time, the report said.

Shipping has partially resumed through the strait, which handled one-fifth of global ​oil and liquefied natural gas before the war broke out on February 28.

But Iranian officials said they had a right to manage traffic along with US ally Oman, which lies on ‌the other ⁠side of the strategic waterway, and would impose tolls in mid-August when the 60-day period expires.

"The sovereignty of the Strait of Hormuz lies with Iran and Oman, and traffic in the Strait is subject to arrangements determined by Iran," Iran's top negotiator, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, said on state TV.

US Vice President JD Vance said Iran would be prevented from charging tolls through the international waterway, telling The Michael Knowles Show, "This is not going to end in a place where the Iranians are collecting tolls on ships ​going through the Strait of Hormuz."

Vance also ​said in the interview recorded on ⁠Monday but released on Tuesday that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz had returned to pre-war levels, even exceeding that on some days, without citing figures.

Despite the uncertainty, oil prices have fallen since the weekend, when the US bombed Iranian military ​facilities in response to drone strikes on commercial ships and Iran attacked US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Vulnerable economies, however, ​could remain at risk from ⁠food and fuel price increases even after energy markets feel relief, the UN trade and development agency said on Tuesday.

The war pushed up global inflation and has put Trump under political pressure before midterm elections in November that will determine control of the US Congress. Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are both urging gasoline retailers to lower prices.

The interim deal between ⁠the US and ​Iran also provides for an end to the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in ​Lebanon.

But Lebanon's powerful parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, cast doubt on a separate, US-brokered framework deal between Lebanon and Israel to halt that war.

Analysts said the deal risks entrenching a stalemate by tying ​Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah's disarmament.