Iran Urges US to Accept Reality of Losing the War

Iran has urged the United States to acknowledge its defeat. The call came after President Donald Trump announced he would declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory.

The appeal was made by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, as reported by Press TV and TRT World on Saturday (15/8/2026). He asserted that Washington has suffered a defeat in its efforts to impose its will over the strategic waterway.

“Accept this reality once and for all; so far, you have suffered a serious and strategic defeat,” Gharibabadi said in a statement to the US via social media platform X on Saturday morning (15/8).

“The Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran, currently belongs to Iran, and will remain Iran’s; it will only be closed or reopened at Iran’s command,” he stressed.

“And as long as you refuse to acknowledge the reality of your defeat and continue to indulge in your delusions, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade (in the Strait of Hormuz),” the Iranian deputy foreign minister said in his statement.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for global oil and gas supplies, has become the focus of the latest dispute between Iran and the US, which have been in conflict for several months.

Tehran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed in response to a wave of US and Israeli attacks that began in late February. Various diplomatic efforts to discuss reopening the strategic waterway have failed to produce concrete results.

Trump to Declare Strait of Hormuz as US Territory

Trump further inflamed the situation with his latest comments on Friday (14/8), saying he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory after defeating Iran in the war. He also asserted that the US Navy was imposing a total blockade on the strait.

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is suffering a crushing defeat, I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as United States territory,” Trump said during a visit to the new Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City, New York.

The US President also asserted that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would remain in place, stating that “no ship can pass through unless we allow it”.

Gharibabadi, responding to Trump’s latest remarks, insisted that the Strait of Hormuz could not simply be seized.

“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be captured merely through a tweet or with an aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, or by delivering an election campaign speech,” Gharibabadi stressed in his statement.

“Iran is not intimidated by threats and does not lose its nerve in the face of shows of force,” Gharibabadi said in a separate statement via social media platform X on Friday (14/8) local time.

Trump Orders US Aircraft Carriers to Stop Using Advanced Systems

Donald Trump has ordered that future US aircraft carriers no longer use advanced systems for launching fighter jets. Trump proposed that US aircraft carriers return to using the older, “proven” catapult technology.

Trump’s order is considered likely to drastically increase military costs. Why?

Trump’s order, as reported by AFP on Saturday (15/8/2026), was announced as part of a presidential memorandum on national security to “remedy critical long-term problems in the Navy’s shipbuilding and repair programme, and restore capacity and competition in the maritime industrial base”.

The US Navy has dominated the seas since the Second World War. However, recent conflicts, including the war against Iran, have highlighted problems related to ageing ships and lengthy procurement processes.

Trump lamented the condition of a “declining shipbuilding industrial base”, which he said has made the construction and repair of warships slower and more expensive.

Trump’s latest order instructs the Pentagon, or the US Department of Defense, to draw up plans to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems on future US aircraft carriers.

The first ship to be affected by the order is the USS Doris Miller, the fourth aircraft carrier of the Gerald R Ford class, which is scheduled for completion in 2034.

The change in catapult systems, according to a report by leading US media outlet the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), is estimated to cost billions of dollars. In addition, operating and maintaining steam systems will require more personnel.

General Atomics, the company that won the contract to build the electromagnetic catapult system for the USS Doris Miller, stated that the decision to switch systems “needs to be carefully reconsidered”.

Iran Has Not Decided to Resume Negotiations

Iran has asserted that it has not yet decided to resume negotiations with the United States. Tehran said that ongoing communication with mediators such as Qatar and Pakistan cannot be interpreted as a continuation of negotiations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as reported by Reuters and Anadolu Agency on Saturday (15/8/2026), dismissed reports suggesting that the 60-day ceasefire under the Islamabad memorandum required an extension.

The Islamabad memorandum refers to the memorandum of understanding agreed by Tehran and Washington in June, mediated by Pakistan.

“What is stated in the Islamabad memorandum is ending the war, not a ceasefire,” Araghchi told the ISNA news agency.

“The United States has violated the memorandum, and fighting has resumed. Therefore, there is no 60-day ceasefire that needs to be extended,” the Iranian foreign minister stressed.

Araghchi explained that the 60-day period mentioned in the Islamabad Memorandum was intended as a timeframe for negotiations to reach a final agreement, not as a ceasefire duration.

“Both Qatar and Pakistan continue to exchange messages and maintain communication with us, but that does not mean there are negotiations,” he said.

“No decision has been made to resume talks with the United States,” Araghchi asserted.