Iran vowed on Tuesday that not a single drop of oil would leave the Middle East "until further notice," in a stinging rejection of Donald Trump's remarks the previous day about a war that was "virtually" over.

The Islamic Republic has stated that negotiations with Washington are "no longer on the agenda" in this conflict which has engulfed the entire region since February 28 and plunged global markets into panic on Monday.

"The Iranian armed forces (...) will not allow the export of a single liter of oil from the region to the enemy camp and its partners until further notice," said Ali Mohammad Naini, spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army.

The Iranian government, which on Sunday appointed Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader, ten days after the death of his father in Israeli-American strikes, is thus denying Washington the right to decide alone on the continuation of the conflict.

And he intends to use the control he exercises over the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production passes.

Efforts "to reduce and control the price of oil and gas will be temporary and futile. In times of war, trade is dependent on regional security," the spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards added, according to the Tasnim news agency.

They even promised to allow passage through the precious passage "any Arab or European country that expels the Israeli and American ambassadors from its territory".

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, for his part, warned that Tehran "would decide on the end of the war" and that the Iranian armed forces were ready "to continue missile strikes (...) for as long as necessary and whenever necessary."

"Break the bones"

These remarks stand in stark contrast to those made by Donald Trump the previous day. From the ballroom of his Doral golf club (Miami, southeast), on Monday evening, the president had claimed to be in control of the tempo.

"The war will end soon," he assured, at his first press conference since the start of the conflict.

Judging the American operations to be "well ahead" of an initial schedule that he never revealed, the billionaire blew hot and cold, leaving, as often, doubt hanging over his plans.

He threatened to hit Iran "much harder" if Tehran "held the world hostage" by blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

And he added, more casually than ever: "We took a little trip because it seemed to us that we needed to get rid of certain people. And I think you'll see that it will be a short trip."

The head of state also announced that he would lift certain sanctions on oil "in order to reduce prices" which have soared in recent days. He did not specify, however, which sanctions he was referring to, nor which countries were affected.

Israel, hand in hand with the United States since the first day of this war, only reacted on Tuesday morning.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel was "breaking the bones" of Iranian power, but was "not finished" with it yet. "We aspire to lead the Iranian people to break the yoke of tyranny."

The markets are breathing easier

While awaiting further developments, global markets reversed course after a panic the previous day. Oil prices fell by 5% at the close of Asian trading, and European gas prices dropped by 15%.

European stock markets rebounded at the opening bell, with Paris, Frankfurt, and London gaining between 1.29% and 2.04%. Asian markets had also rebounded earlier (Seoul +5.35%, Tokyo +2.88%).

Analysts predict, however, a certain volatility in the markets, reflecting the uncertainties surrounding the current balance of power, between contradictory statements and multiple strikes.

Because, in fact, the war continues.

The Israeli army carried out strikes overnight Monday to Tuesday on several localities in southern and eastern Lebanon, strongholds of the pro-Iranian Shiite movement Hezbollah, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA).

She warned on Tuesday morning of imminent strikes on Tyre and Saida (south) against the movement, calling on residents of several buildings to evacuate their homes.

Iran, for its part, announced that it had targeted a US base in the Iraqi Kurdistan region with five missiles. Four fighters from a pro-Iranian armed faction in Iraq were killed in a nighttime strike attributed to the United States, according to a statement from the group.

The United Arab Emirates reported earlier today that it was being targeted by Iranian drones and missiles. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia said they had shot down drones, and Bahrain reported two deaths in an Iranian attack that struck a residential building in Manama, the capital.

On Monday, a second Iranian missile was intercepted over Turkey, prompting a warning from Ankara to Tehran.

The trend, however, seemed to be towards de-escalation between the two neighbors. Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian proposed to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday that a "joint team" investigate these incidents, according to Iranian media.