Iran’s leadership hardened its stance on the Strait of Hormuz. They declared the waterway a non-negotiable strategic asset amid escalating tensions with the United States.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran would maintain management of the strait to secure a regional future “free from the presence and interference of America”.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei described the Strait of Hormuz as a vital strategic asset in a National Persian Gulf Day message. Meanwhile, Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad called the waterway Iran’s “atomic bomb.”
Nikzad said the strait “must not return to its previous state” under the Supreme Leader’s order. This signalled a harder line from Tehran over one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.
Deputy inspector Mohammad Jafar Asadi of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said Iran’s armed forces were prepared for renewed conflict. He also accused Washington of failing to honour commitments.
Friday prayer leaders also backed the tougher position. Ahmad Alamolhoda in Mashhad said negotiations with America meant surrender. Meanwhile, Tehran’s interim Friday prayer leader Mohammad-Javad Haj Ali-Akbari said the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz were no longer negotiable.
President Masoud Pezeshkian used more measured language. He warned that any naval blockade or maritime restriction in the Persian Gulf would violate international law and threaten regional stability.
The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of the global oil supply. This makes any disruption a potential risk to energy markets and maritime security.
Read: Iran Proposal Fails to Satisfy Trump in Ceasefire Talks
Iran Hardens Stance after the statements came as President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany. This followed Trump’s clash with Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Berlin’s criticism of the US handling of the Iran war.
The Pentagon said the drawdown, affecting one of Europe’s largest US contingents, aims to return troop levels to pre-2022 figures. Trump says Iran could use nuclear weapons against Israel, Europe and the US.
