Trump scammed by Iran and Pakistan

President Trump was scammed by Iran and Pakistan into beginning negotiations with Iran - when Iran knew it could not complete the immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump's conditions to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for two weeks were made clear in his following remarks on Truth Social on 7 April:

Trump's conditions were not capable of being met as this report in the New York Times on 10 April made clear:

Iran has been unable to open the Strait of Hormuz to more shipping traffic because it cannot locate all of the mines it laid in the waterway and lacks the capability to remove them, according to U.S. officials.

The development is one reason Iran has not been able to quickly comply with the Trump administration's admonitions to let more traffic pass through the strait. It is also potentially a complicating factor as Iranian negotiators and a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance meet in Pakistan this weekend for peace talks.

Iran used small boats to mine the strait last month, soon after the United States and Israel began their war against the country. The mines, plus the threat of Iranian drone and missile attacks, slowed the number of oil tankers and other vessels passing through the strait to a trickle, driving up energy prices and providing Iran with its best leverage in the war.

Iran left a path through the strait open, allowing ships that pay a toll to pass through.

The New York Times use of the phrase: "the Trump administration's admonitions to let more traffic pass through the strait was a perversion of Trump's demand: COMPLETE,IMMEDIATE and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz".

On 12 AprilUS Central Command reported:

U.S. Forces Start Mine Clearance Mission in Strait of Hormuz

TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, April 11, as two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers conducted operations.

USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG 121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce," said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.

The Strait of Hormuz is an international sea passage and an essential trade corridor that supports regional and global economic prosperity. Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days.

Iran's response was immediate as Aljazeera published on 12 April:

On Saturday, a spokesperson for the Iranian military's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters swiftly denied the US statement.

'The claim by the CENTCOM commander regarding the approach and entry of American vessels into the Strait of Hormuz is strongly denied,"'the spokesperson said.

'The initiative for the passage and movement of any vessel is in the hands of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.'

The IRGC, in turn, vowed 'a strong response' to any military ships passing through the strait.