Iran Says It Will Hold Strait of Hormuz Until All Demands Are Met
Iran's IRGC says it will keep control of the Strait of Hormuz until its demands are fully accepted by its adversaries.
Tehran's strategy in the ongoing confrontation is to maintain control of the Strait of Hormuz until its adversaries accept all its conditions and concede defeat, according to a senior Iranian military official.
Hossein Mohebbi, spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), said on Sunday that Iran has already forced its opponents to abandon their previously stated objectives. He added that the other side is now focused primarily on securing the reopening of the strategic waterway.
Iran tightened its hold on the strait on February 28, barring safe passage for vessels owned by or affiliated with Israel and the United States, following joint strikes by those nations on Iranian territory.
In June, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. The two sides were scheduled to begin negotiations within 60 days to finalize a broader agreement, but recent regional escalation has left the fate of those talks uncertain.
Separately, Iran and Oman have been in discussions for several weeks over the designation of a new, safe maritime route through the strait, though no agreement has been announced yet.