AP / August 22, 2026
Iranian state media reported Friday that President Masoud Pezeshkian said the war with the U.S. should end since the world has already accepted that Iran has won. Iran sees its control over the Strait and not giving into U.S. demands as a win.
“The entire world approved our victory and the U.S. is hated,” he said according to IRNA news agency. Iran sees its control over the Strait and not giving into U.S. demands as a win.
The remarks came as the Trump administration is touting a crushing financial campaign against Iran, promising an “economic D-Day” against the country. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would be imposing an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation on Iran, aiming to force its leadership to cave to demands to end its nuclear program and fully reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.
French president and Saudi crown prince to meet to discuss ways to bypass the Strait
French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are expected to discuss the effects of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and plans to develop routes around the waterway during the Saudi leader’s two-day visit to Paris beginning Sunday, according to officials in the presidency who are not authorized to be publicly named.
Proposals under consideration include increasing trade through Omani ports outside the Persian Gulf, expanding or doubling pipelines in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, and developing new rail links, the officials said.
France and Saudi Arabia have formed a joint task force on energy and logistics connections between the Middle East and Europe that is scheduled to meet at ministerial level Monday.
The officials said the work was already well advanced and would focus on identifying the most strategic projects, securing financing and establishing roles for French companies. The visit will be Mohammed bin Salman’s first trip abroad since he travelled to Washington in November 2025, according to the officials.
Angela Charlton – Associated Press correspondent in Paris
