Iran accuses US of relying on sanctions over diplomacy

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the United States resorts to economic sanctions when it is unable to pursue diplomacy, describing this as an American "habit and addiction."

Baghaei wrote on X: "The US Treasury Secretary boasted about strangling Iran with economic sanctions. Far from merely evoking pity, this statement is clear evidence of America's excessive reliance on sanctions. Whenever Washington fails at diplomacy, it turns to sanctions, and when those sanctions fail, they are intensified. This is no longer a policy, but a habit—and more dangerously, an addiction that has replaced rational thinking."

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a halt to attacks on Iran in light of an imminent peace agreement, which includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and accords regarding Iran's nuclear program.

Today, Trump stated that "the United States has entered a negotiation phase with Iran," adding that Iranian negotiators are "very cunning and shrewd."

Trump also noted that "US forces have cleared mines from the entire Strait of Hormuz," emphasizing that "control over the waterway allows all ships to pass except those bound for Iran."