Iran Urges US to Accept Defeat Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions; Trump Warns of Fuel Prices

Iran has called on the United States to acknowledge defeat, even as President Donald Trump labeled Iran as "evil" and advised Americans to prepare for sustained high fuel prices. These contrasting statements highlight the significant gap between the warring parties, with both peace negotiations and vital oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz currently stalled.

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This strait will be opened and closed only under Iran's command, and so long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and stop indulging in fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi declared on X early Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz "will be opened and closed only under Iran's command." He asserted that as long as the U.S. fails to accept "the reality of defeat and stop indulging in fantasies," Iran will continue to enforce the blockade. Gharibabadi dismissed the idea that the strait's status could be altered by mere pronouncements or military might, stating, "The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by a tweet or an aircraft carrier, by issuing an order or by delivering an election speech."

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The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by a tweet or an aircraft carrier, by issuing an order or by delivering an election speech.

Before the conflict began on February 28, approximately one-fifth of the world's oil exports transited the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump, speaking at a rally in New York on Friday, urged Americans to accept slightly higher gasoline prices as a necessary cost to prevent "a very evil country" from acquiring nuclear weapons. The average U.S. price for a gallon of gasoline has risen 29% year-over-year to about $4.08.

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What we're doing is a great service for the world, not only for ourselves ... and we're really doing a great job.

Data from ship-tracking firm Kpler indicates that only two vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday: a grain ship entering Iranian waters and an empty dry bulk ship departing. A liquefied petroleum products tanker was also seen sailing into the Gulf. These figures are drastically lower than the more than 130 ships that navigated the strait daily before the war. Ships attempting to transit without Iranian permission risk missile or drone attacks, with the United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi National Oil Company reporting attacks on two of its vessels on Thursday evening and another on Friday.

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paying "a tiny little bit more for your gasoline" is worth the cost of ensuring "a very evil country" could not have a nuclear weapon