In the end it has come down to this - an inability in the American mind to comprehend the most basic of truths about 'the other' - being that its assumed exceptionalism amounts to nothing in the mind of Iranians. The leaders of the hegemon simply cannot accept that their presence in W Asia is only tolerated and will only ever be welcome on Iran's terms. Iran had no need to negotiate with you, and there is nothing to negotiate, other than the terms of your departure and what you must forfeit. The more you spit and swear the harder it will become for you to leave. But before any settlement is possible, all your naval forces must return home, and any still in the Persian Gulf must leave now. This of course is mere theory - as the US has the habit of lying and trickery, and those countries whose media share US talking points must start showing the truth. Illustrating this vividly in the last few days is the reporting of shipping movements in the Persian Gulf and through the Strait of Hormuz, as illustrated in the two videos below from SBS news of 18th and 19th April. The first video below, from the evening news of April 18th, followed news that morning that Iran had declared the Strait open 'to all traffic' - excepting military traffic - but by the evening Iran had already rescinded the order following Trump's failure to end the US 'blockade'. The video on this news illustrates several hours of the day, showing ships heading for the Strait but then turning back before passing through. News reports suggested that few if any oil tankers had dropped moorings, while commercial ships seen heading for the Strait were seen turning around. At the same time it appeared that numbers of ships sailed from Bandar Abbas to the Gulf coast - which we may assume were food supplies.
In the second video clip, from the following night's SBS news report, there is a highly contentious video of Marine Traffic showing dozens of tankers passing out through the Strait. While the picture is clearly taken from some time in the last six weeks of the war on Iran, at no time has it been mentioned that so many tankers left the Gulf on one day. In fact the Western media has maintained for much of that time that no tankers have passed through the Strait, as acknowledging the truth would be too damaging; it is hardly a secret that the flow of Chinese tankers taking Iranian oil out and returning for more have numbered up to 8 a day. The image below is taken from the following short video clip broadcast on Sunday 19th April and following the Iranian government's stated closure of the Strait, except to approved and paying ships. Notably this was before the US attack on an Iranian tanker in the Sea of Oman.
DM 21st April 2026