Iran denied reports that the Strait of Hormuz had reopened, while its foreign minister accused France of hypocrisy for criticizing Iran while supporting Israel.

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority said in a post that repeated statements by US officials about lifting the blockade did not change the situation. It said the Strait of Hormuz “remains blocked” and would not be reopened until Iran’s conditions were accepted, Pakistan Observer reported.

The statement came after US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States was in control of the strategic waterway. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: “The USA has total control over the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that he believed the US would maintain control through what he described as a “WALL OF STEEL.”

Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised France over its position on human rights, international law and the conflict in Gaza. In a post on X, he said France should stop “lecturing the world” about human rights and international law, calling the alleged hypocrisy “blatant and embarrassing.”

Araghchi also accused France of backing Israel’s actions in Gaza and aggression against Iran, saying this had “destroyed whatever moral high ground” France believed it had.

Meanwhile, there was no discussion between Iran and the United States about extending their ceasefire, a senior Iranian source told Reuters. The source said Tehran considered that the agreement had no start date and therefore nothing to extend.

The comments followed a report by Türkiye’s Anadolu agency, citing Pakistani government sources, that Iran and the US had agreed to extend a 60-day ceasefire under an interim agreement signed in June. The arrangement called for an immediate and permanent end to military operations, but later broke down.