President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.
Following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire, initial U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan in April failed to reach a peace deal.
Trump later announced the open-ended extension of the ceasefire and the continuation of a U.S. blockade until negotiations are concluded "one way or the other."
Khamenei adviser says Trump 'betraying diplomacy' by continuing blockade, making excessive demands
Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said on X Saturday morning that U.S. President Donald Trump is "betraying diplomacy."
"As predicted, the President of the United States is betraying diplomacy for the third time," Rezaei said. "By continuing the naval blockade and making excessive demands in negotiations, he has once again proven that he is not inclined toward negotiation and is pursuing other objectives."
-ABC News' Rashid Haddou
May 29, 2026, 7:10 PM EDT
US military searches have not found any mines in Strait of Hormuz: US official
U.S. military searches so far have not found any Iranian mines that may have been placed in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official.
U.S. intelligence reports have mentioned that Iran has placed mines in the Strait, according to another U.S. official, who said that at one point it was believed that Iran had placed at least a dozen mines in the waterway. Earlier Friday, President Donald Trump also once again referenced in a social media post how Iranian mines have previously been destroyed or removed by the U.S.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz are visible near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 22, 2026.
Majid Asgaripour/vWANA via Reuters
But U.S. military searches in the crucial waterway since the start of the war have not found definitive evidence of any mines, according to a U.S. official. Those searches have involved underwater drones and aircraft reconnaissance, according to the U.S. official.
In a statement, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson said: "U.S. military efforts for ensuring the Strait of Hormuz is fully clear of sea mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are ongoing. We are unable to publicly discuss specifics at this time for operational security reasons."
NBC News was first to report that the U.S. has not confirmed that Iran placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
May 29, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT
Trump yet to announce decision following Situation Room meeting
After meeting with his team in the Situation Room for about two hours on Friday to make a "final determination" about a deal with Iran, President Donald Trump has yet to announce a decision.
Following the meeting, a White House official said in a statement, "President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his redlines. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon."
It is not clear why the president still has not announced a decision.
The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned the Persian Gulf Strait Authority — the entity created by Iran to manage and charge for passage through Strait of Hormuz.
Prior to this move, the Treasury Department had already warned that providing payment to the PGSA for passage through the strait could open the payer up to sanctions risks, and that firms that facilitate financing could be subject to secondary sanctions. The move to formalize the sanctions is a potential sign the administration could seek to step up enforcement of the penalties.
