Iran says US must end ‘piracy’ against ships to prove goodwill
Iran’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that the United States must demonstrate its “goodwill” by ending what Tehran described as “piracy” against Iranian vessels, amid fragile diplomacy and continuing tensions over shipping in the Persian Gulf.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told Iranian state television that Washington needed to stop actions targeting Iranian ships if it wanted to show seriousness about negotiations.
Baghaei also confirmed that Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is currently in Tehran to help facilitate the exchange of messages, according to Iranian media.
President Donald Trump warned that the United States could strike Iran even harder if needed.
“They will not have a nuclear weapon and they want to make a deal so badly,” Trump said. “We'll see what happens.”
“We may have to hit them even harder, but maybe not,” he added. “But we're not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon and blow up… Israel and the entire Middle East.”
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran’s navy and air force were gone and that the only question was whether the United States would finish the job or Iran would sign an agreement.
“Everything’s gone. Their navy’s gone. Their air force is gone. Just about everything,” Trump said in a commencement address at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
“The only question is, do we go and finish it up? Are they going to be signing a document? Let’s see what happens,” he added.
Oil prices fell more than 5% on Wednesday as President Donald Trump attempted to reassure markets with optimistic comments about negotiations with Iran.
Brent crude dropped to $105.70 as traders reacted to signs that Washington and Tehran may be moving closer to a deal that could avert another round of attacks and ease fears of prolonged supply disruption in the Middle East.
Trump said negotiations with Iran were in the “final stages” but warned that the United States could launch further attacks unless Tehran agrees to a peace deal.
Iran International’s documentary A Friendship: From Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison to San Diego, directed by Ardavan Roozbeh, has won a Silver Telly Award in the General Political & Commentary category for television productions.
The annual Telly Awards, established in 1979, recognize excellence in television, video and digital content.
Organizers say this year’s competition drew around 13,000 entries from across the world, judged by industry professionals from companies including Netflix and HBO.
The documentary tells the story of an unlikely friendship between Michael White, an American Navy veteran detained in Iran, and Mehdi VatanKhah, an Iranian political prisoner, who met inside Mashhad’s Vakilabad prison.
White was arrested during a trip to Iran in 2018 and later said he faced intense interrogations, psychological pressure and attempts to force him into confessing to espionage for the United States and Israel.
Ardavan Roozbeh interviews Michael White
Beyond the personal story, the film examines the Islamic Republic’s detention of foreign and dual nationals, a practice critics and human rights groups have long described as hostage diplomacy aimed at extracting political concessions from Western governments.
The documentary also portrays the broader structure of repression in Iran, including the treatment of political prisoners, journalists and dissidents.
After returning to the United States, White campaigned to help VatanKhah leave Iran. VatanKhah later emigrated to the United States and now lives in San Diego.
The production previously won awards for cinematography and editing at the New York Short Documentary Film Festival for Aydin Roozbeh’s work on the film.
Work is underway to finalize the text of an agreement between Washington and Tehran, and its completion may be announced within hours, Al Arabiya reported on Wednesday, citing sources.
The report said Pakistan’s army chief may visit Iran on Thursday to announce the final version of the agreement.
The report added that a new round of negotiations would be held in Islamabad after the Hajj season.
