Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, has issued a strong warning to the United States after its naval blockade of Iranian ports, saying the Islamic Republic will not withdraw from the Strait of Hormuz until its rights are fully secured, according to Iranian state media outlet Press TV.
As reported by Press TV, Rezaei, a former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, described the strategic waterway as a key point of leverage and said Iran would continue to assert control over it in response to what Tehran considers unlawful restrictions on its economic and maritime activities.
Rezaei stated that Iran will remain in the Strait of Hormuz until its rights are fully secured and stressed that future agreements must be drafted more carefully with greater emphasis on economic concerns. He added that unlike the United States, which he claimed fears prolonged conflict, Iran is prepared and experienced in long term warfare. He also questioned why US forces avoid crossing the strait if Iran’s naval capabilities have supposedly been weakened, and said that unlike earlier negotiations where the other side dictated terms, Iran is now setting the conditions.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route through which nearly one fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, has become a central flashpoint in the ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, even as diplomatic efforts continue in the background to resolve the conflict in West Asia.
The developments follow an announcement by the United States Central Command on Wednesday that a comprehensive blockade of Iranian ports has been successfully carried out, with US forces claiming control over key regional waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said that within 36 hours of launching the operation, US forces had effectively halted all maritime trade entering and leaving Iran.
