Iran announced on Saturday that it was resuming “strict control” of the Strait of Hormuz in reaction to the continued American blockade of Iranian ports, reversing its decision the day before to reopen this essential sea route for global hydrocarbon trade.
Iran had “agreed in good faith to authorize the passage of a limited number of tankers and commercial ships” but the Americans, violating their commitment, “continue to engage in acts of piracy under cover of the so-called blockade”, denounced the command of the Iranian armed forces Khatam Al-Anbiya in a press release relayed by state television.
“For this reason, control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state, and this strategic passage is now placed under strict control” of Iran, he added.
The United States “cannot impose a siege” on the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said this Saturday, after Tehran claimed to have closed the strait again due to the American blockade.
“The Americans cannot impose their will to lay siege to Iran even as the latter, with good intentions, strives to facilitate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in Antalya, in southern Turkey.
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