DUBAI/WASHINGTON, June 12, 2026: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi declared that Iran had emerged victorious from its war with the United States as Tehran and Washington signaled they were moving closer to an agreement that could end months of conflict and reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran is the winner of the war with the US,” Araqchi said in remarks broadcast on Iranian state television, arguing that the tentative understanding under discussion demonstrated that his country had emerged stronger despite sustained military pressure.
US and Iranian officials have indicated that negotiations are advancing toward a possible framework agreement, although some senior Tehran officials insist no final deal has yet been reached.
A source close to Iran’s negotiating team told Fars News Agency that reports by US President Donald Trump and some foreign media claiming a final agreement had been concluded and would be signed in Geneva on Sunday were “completely false.” The source said Iran’s internal review and decision-making process had not been completed and categorically denied reports of a finalized accord, a Sunday signing date or Geneva as the venue.
Araqchi outlines Iran’s position
Araqchi said the proposed arrangement would provide for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports.
He added that Iran, together with Oman, would retain control over traffic through the waterway, which before the conflict handled roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments.
“Our sword will always hang over the Strait of Hormuz,” Araqchi said.
On Iran’s nuclear program, Araqchi rejected suggestions that Tehran would dismantle its nuclear infrastructure and said Iran’s preferred solution for its stockpile of highly enriched uranium was to dilute the material rather than surrender it.
“For Tehran, the only preferred solution for its highly enriched uranium stockpile is down-blending the material,” he said.
Araqchi also suggested that any eventual agreement could help end the conflict in Lebanon and lead to an Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas, although Israeli officials have publicly rejected such suggestions.
US blamed for making strait unsafe
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said Washington’s military actions had made the Strait of Hormuz “unprecedentedly unsafe,” Fars News Agency reported on Friday.
According to Baqaei, Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces had determined that safe passage through the waterway could no longer be guaranteed and had closed the strait to maritime traffic.
He blamed what he described as US attacks on Iranian facilities in the country’s southern regions for the deterioration in security conditions and said Iran’s armed forces had warned vessels to exercise extreme caution.
Baqaei also said Iran had not reached a final conclusion regarding any war-ending agreement with Washington, adding that Iranian officials remained wary because of what he described as repeated shifts in US positions during negotiations.
IRGC says Iran stronger than ever
In a separate statement marking the anniversary of Operation True Promise 3 and the conflict launched by the US and Israel in February, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Iran had emerged “stronger and more capable than ever.”
The IRGC said the country was at its highest level of military readiness and deterrence, maintained comprehensive intelligence awareness of adversary activities and stood ready to deliver an immediate and severe response to any future aggression.
According to the statement, lessons from recent conflicts had strengthened Iran’s military capabilities and shifted the regional balance in Tehran’s favor.
The IRGC also defended Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that regional instability stemmed from US actions, and warned that any threat to the strategic waterway would carry serious consequences.
Markets watch negotiations
News of progress toward a possible agreement helped push oil prices lower, with Brent crude falling more than 3% at one point as traders weighed the prospect of the Strait of Hormuz eventually reopening to commercial traffic.
US officials have said discussions remain focused on securing freedom of navigation through the strait and addressing Iran’s nuclear activities through follow-on negotiations.
However, significant differences appear to remain over the future of Iran’s uranium stockpile, sanctions relief and the broader terms of any final settlement, while Tehran continues to insist that no comprehensive agreement has yet been finalized.
