On May 31 local time, the U.S. Central Command stated that the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Milius is participating in a maritime blockade operation targeting Iran.
The Central Command announced on social media that, as of May 31, U.S. military blockade operations against Iran have forced 118 commercial vessels to alter their courses and rendered 5 vessels inoperable, cumulatively impacting 123 vessels. On June 1, international oil prices surged significantly. At the time of reporting, U.S. crude oil prices rose nearly 3%, briefly surpassing $90 per barrel during trading.
Iran: No Intention to Concede or Compromise with the U.S. In an interview broadcast on the evening of May 31 local time, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that dialogue and information exchange between Iran and the U.S. are ongoing. He noted that current discussions regarding the progress of negotiations are "purely speculative" and that judgments on the process should not be made until clear results are achieved.
On May 31 local time, a correspondent learned that Mohsen Rezaee, a military advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, stated that Iran has no intention of making concessions or compromises to the U.S. and will never place itself in a weak position. A spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee told local media that, regarding the nuclear issue, Iran has made no commitments to the U.S. According to Iranian sources on the 31st, an informed individual commented on reports regarding "new revisions proposed by the Trump administration to the current Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding text," indicating that text exchanges are continuing. Iran will also, as per practice, propose its own revisions to the text, and nothing is finalized yet. The source emphasized that, for Iran, the key is the text it itself approves; revisions proposed by the Trump side do not mean Iran will accept them. The source also stated that Iran is fully prepared for the possibility of failing to reach an agreement. According to U.S. sources, after convening a meeting with aides on May 29 to discuss a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed stricter modifications to the memorandum's terms and has sent the revised version to Iran.
Iran Denies Rumors of President Pezeshkian's Resignation An official from the Iranian Presidential Office on May 31 denied rumors that President Masoud Pezeshkian had submitted his resignation to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stating that such claims were rumors spread by certain foreign media.
Tabatabai, the official in charge of news and communications at the Presidential Office, posted on a social media platform to deny the rumors of Pezeshkian's resignation. He stated that Pezeshkian will continue to fulfill his duties and will not cease serving the Iranian people. According to Iranian media reports that day, Pezeshkian stated in a speech that the government will continue to advance various tasks with determination "until the last moment of life." On the same day, Pezeshkian posted on a social media platform, stating that the country currently faces numerous challenges, and overcoming difficulties requires the joint participation and support of all sectors of society. The government has a responsibility to truthfully explain the problems and realities the country faces to the public, to promote whole-of-society participation in solving problems. Pezeshkian stated that in the face of difficulties and challenges, Iran needs to further strengthen social unity and cooperation. In early May, an official from the Iranian Presidential Office denied the existence of disagreements between President Pezeshkian and senior officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stating that rumors about Pezeshkian's potential resignation were fabricated by some media to create hype.
Comments