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Iran Sees an Opening to Kick the U.S. Out of the Gulf
(Wall Street Journal) David S. Cloud - Iran is vowing to bar U.S. Navy ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz as part of an agreement to reopen the waterway. Iran's leaders see an opportunity to use negotiations on ending the war to dislodge the U.S. as the dominant power in the Persian Gulf. The headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet is in Bahrain in the Gulf. The Trump administration would only accept an arrangement in the Strait of Hormuz where Iran receives no tolls or fees and can't deny anyone access to the waterway, a U.S. official said. Another American official said the U.S. would lift its blockade on Iranian ports if Tehran opened the strait without impediments. The Revolutionary Guard-linked Fars News Agency reported that Israeli ships would be banned from transiting the strait, along with ships or cargo linked to actions against Iran's regional militia allies. Countries that have caused damage to Iran would have to pay compensation before being allowed to transit.