US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said 125 million barrels of oil were shipped through the Strait of Hormuz and that this flow continued despite regional tensions. Hegseth claimed Iran was unable to respond.
Speaking to CBS News, Hegseth said, "Project Freedom never stopped." He asserted that the US maintained the oil transit through the strategic waterway and that this was under Washington's control.
The secretary also claimed that no Iranian vessel was able to breach the "American blockade." With these remarks, he signaled that the Donald Trump administration holds a strong bargaining position in the diplomatic process with Iran.
Hegseth also said the US military will remain active for the next 60 days. He stated that military plans have been prepared for the "dilution, destruction or removal from the region" of nuclear material.
According to Hegseth, the text on the table stipulates that Iran will never possess, seek, purchase or hold a nuclear weapon.
Trump, meanwhile, said on Saturday that a deal with Iran would be signed on Sunday. The Tehran side objected to this timeline and reported that the draft under discussion is still in the evaluation phase.
According to information conveyed by sources in Tehran to Fars News Agency, a final decision has not been announced. Thus, the gap between the deal claim and the Iranian side's cautious approach persists.