Tehran: We will keep the Strait of Hormuz under our control until Washington accepts our conditions

Spokesperson for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major General Hossein Mohiabi, stated that Iran’s strategy is to “keep the Strait of Hormuz under control until the United States accepts all of Tehran’s demands.” These remarks were made by Mohiabi in an interview with official Iranian television on Sunday, in which he addressed developments concerning the Strait of Hormuz. Mohiabi clarified that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer just a waterway for Iran, but has also become a “battlefield.” He added, “Our strategy is to keep the strait under control until the enemy accepts all our conditions.”

Earlier, on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in remarks that “opening the Strait of Hormuz is linked to several conditions, including U.S. compensation for violating the memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad.”

Since February 28, the region has witnessed waves of military confrontations and a cautious calm, accompanied by stalled negotiations between the United States and Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz serving as the central issue for some time. On that day, the United States and Israel launched an aggression against Iran, resulting in 3,000 casualties, according to Tehran, which retaliated with attacks that killed Americans and Israelis. Iran also carried out attacks on what it described as military facilities and equipment in Gulf states, some of which resulted in civilian casualties and damaged civilian infrastructure, prompting the targeted countries to condemn the actions and repeatedly call for an end to them.

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18 and began negotiations to conclude a final agreement, but disputes subsequently arose over guarantees of freedom and security of navigation in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial for energy supplies and trade.