Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtab Khamenei endorses direct negotiations with the United States in a statement read by state media late Thursday. The statement is presented as his first public reaction to a recently reached deal between Iran and the U.S. aimed at ending hostilities. According to the statement, future face-to-face talks will not require Iran to accept the “enemy’s opinion,” framing negotiations within Iran’s stated positions.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance announces at a White House press briefing that the U.S. Navy allows more than a dozen ships to pass to Iranian ports, describing this as a lift of a blockade tied to the hostilities-ending agreement. Vance also says more oil is moving through the Strait of Hormuz, citing that more than 12.5 million barrels went through the shipping channel during Wednesday night. The reporting characterizes these measures as an immediate benefit and as part of the early steps of the agreement on the military side.
Khamenei is reported not to have appeared in public since being wounded in a strike at the start of the war.
