On Thursday, March 26th, US Secretary of State Pompeo revealed that negotiations between the US and Iran had “made progress” as the volume of energy products transiting through the Strait of Hormuz began to increase. He also urged the G7 countries to support the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Pompeo embarked on Thursday to attend a G7 foreign ministers summit in Paris. Before boarding the plane, he stated, “There are some intermediary countries relaying messages that the negotiations (with Iran) have made progress—some substantive progress.”
“The volume of energy products passing through the Strait of Hormuz is increasing, although not enough, but there has indeed been improvement. There have also been some advancements in information exchange, but this remains a continuous and dynamic process that we will not discuss or debate in the media,” he added.
On Thursday, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, attending a White House cabinet meeting, expressed that there were “strong indications” that a peace agreement could be signed between Iran and the US. He confirmed that the US had delivered a 15-point peace ceasefire plan through intermediary Pakistan to Iran.
Witkoff revealed that following President Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum to Iran on social media last Saturday, Iran proactively reached out to him. At that time, the President stated that unless Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz and ensured unimpeded shipping within 48 hours, he would begin bombing Iran’s infrastructure starting from the largest power plants.
In response to whether he would request assistance from G7 member countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Pompeo stated, “Providing assistance aligns with their interests.”
The Secretary of State pointed out, “Other countries obtain much more fuel from there than we do.”
He stated that if Iran ceased threatening global shipping, the Strait of Hormuz could “reopen tomorrow.”
“All of these countries that value international law should take action for this,” he added.
The US State Department stated in a release that Pompeo would meet with the G7 foreign ministers in France on Friday to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the changes in the Middle Eastern situation triggered by the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran.
President Trump stated during the cabinet meeting on Thursday that Iran is more eager than him to reach an agreement. He noted the premature conclusion of military operations and reiterated his criticism of NATO.
The President also revealed that Iran had sent a gift of ten large oil tankers that could transit through the Strait of Hormuz to demonstrate their sincerity in negotiations.
During the cabinet meeting, Pompeo stated that US allies should thank President Trump for coordinating military actions with Israel.
“The President is not just doing a good thing for the US and our people. It is for the whole world,” Pompeo remarked.