Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, has slammed the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “clumsy and ignorant decision”, Al Jazeera reports.

He has also revealed details of behind-the-scenes negotiations with the US, describing a tense standoff involving an American minesweeper during talks in Islamabad.

Speaking in a television interview, Ghalibaf says Iranian officials directly confronted the US delegation over naval movements in the Strait of Hormuz. He reaffirms that “the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the Islamic Republic”.

Ghalibaf adds that Tehran viewed US attempts to clear mines in the Strait as a “violation of the ceasefire”, warning that the situation was close to escalating.

He adds that both sides were heading towards renewed confrontation, “but the enemy retreated”.

“In Islamabad, I told the American delegation that if their minesweeper moves even a little further from its position, we will definitely shoot it. They asked for 15 minutes to give the order to turn back, and they did,” he says.