Trump: It should be the United States, not Iran, collecting tolls for the Strait of Hormuz. "We are the winners."

According to Xinhua News Agency, at a news conference at the White House on June 6, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the “toll” for the Strait of Hormuz would be collected by the United States, not Iran.

Asked how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said that reopening the Strait of Hormuz must be part of an end-to-conflict plan. “A deal has to be reached that I can accept, and one of the things in that deal is to ensure the free passage of oil and all kinds of goods.”

He again claimed that the United States has militarily defeated Iran, and therefore “the winner gets the spoils,” adding that the toll for ships passing through the strait should be collected by the United States rather than Iran. “Why don’t we charge? We’re the winners.”

It is worth noting that on May 5, Trump posted on social media saying, “Open up that damn strait, or you will live in hell—just wait and see!” In the post, Trump even used profanity, and his remarks were extremely agitated.

Iran Armed Forces Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters’ spokesperson said in a statement later on the evening of June 6 that Trump is full of “delusions,” and that his rude and arrogant rhetoric and groundless threats cannot make up for the “humiliation” the United States has suffered in the West Asia region.

Trump, threatening Iran at one end

On the other, saying negotiations are “going smoothly”

At a news conference at the White House on June 6, U.S. President Trump threatened that the U.S. military would only need “4 hours” to blow up all bridges and power plants in Iran. He also claimed that the negotiations between the United States and Iran were “going very smoothly.”

At the press conference, Trump said that the U.S. is engaging in dialogue with Iran, with Vice President Vance and President’s special envoy Witkoov participating.

“I think everything is going well, but we’ll have to wait and see.” He also said, “I can’t discuss the matter of a ceasefire, but I can tell you that the other side has a positive participant who is willing,” “They hope to reach an agreement. Besides that, I can’t reveal any more.”

Earlier that day at an event at the White House, Trump told the media that after he issued his final ultimatum on the 5th, Iran’s negotiating representatives put forward a major proposal, which was “not good enough, but this is indeed an important step.” Iran “has already taken a very important step. We’ll wait and see.”

At the press conference, Trump threatened that if Iran fails to reach an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz before 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 7, he will launch an airstrike campaign that lasts 4 hours.

“We have a plan: by 24:00 tomorrow (Eastern Time), every bridge in Iran will be completely destroyed; every power plant will be completely disabled—they will be engulfed in flames, there will be explosions, and they will never be put back into use again.” He said, “If we want to, it can all be done in just four short hours. But we don’t want this to happen.”

When asked by the media whether the U.S. military bombing of Iran’s civilian infrastructure and cutting off power supplies is punishment of the Iranian people, Trump even brazenly claimed: “They are willing participants… They’re willing to endure this suffering.” Earlier that day, he had also claimed that the Iranian people “want to hear the sound of bombs.”

According to a report on June 6 by Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran responded to the war-ending proposal put forward by the United States. This response includes 10 provisions and covers a series of demands from Iran’s side, including ending regional conflicts, establishing a security passage agreement for the Strait of Hormuz, carrying out reconstruction, and lifting sanctions. Iran ruled out the possibility of a temporary ceasefire and emphasized that the conflict must be ended permanently.

The U.S. Wall Street Journal reported on June 6, citing informed officials, that the United States and regional mediators are pushing for a 45-day ceasefire agreement in an effort to completely end the war between the United States and Iran, but the likelihood of reaching an agreement remains “still slim.”

U.S. threatens to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure with airstrikes

UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson: Shocking

According to CGTN News, UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on June 6 that he was shocked by U.S. President Trump’s remarks threatening to carry out airstrikes against Iran’s power plants, bridges, and other infrastructure, emphasizing that any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.

When answering media questions, Dujarric said that the Secretary-General reiterated that civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities, must not be attacked. Even if certain civilian infrastructure is, in some circumstances, determined to be a military target, this principle still applies if such attacks could cause harm to innocent civilians.

He said that the Secretary-General’s position has always been clear and unequivocal: all parties must comply with their obligations that are owed in the conduct of hostilities. The Secretary-General again emphasized that apart from a peaceful settlement of international disputes, there is no other viable alternative, and the relevant parties should put an end to this conflict.

Asked by reporters whether such airstrikes would constitute war crimes, Dujarric said that whether they constitute a crime “must be decided by the court.”

(Source: Economic Daily News)