Article by Viory
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz was only closed to ‘enemies’ of his nation and their allies, speaking on Wednesday.
“Let me state right here that, in our view, the Strait of Hormuz is not completely closed. It is closed, naturally, only to our enemies. We are in a state of war. The region is a war zone. There is no reason to allow the ships of our enemies and their allies to pass through. But it is open for the rest,” he said.
He also criticised those in the West who thought Iran was ‘bluffing’ about its authority in the region.
“After 10 years, they finally forced us to show our authority in the region in this waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, and prove it to the world. They couldn’t believe it. They thought Iran was bluffing. They thought Iran lacked the courage to do such a thing, but we did it powerfully, and they mobilised all their strength to stop it and failed,” he said.
“When America’s own fleet does not dare to enter the strait, how does it expect the fleets of other countries, the naval forces of other countries, to approach?” he asked.
The situation around the Strait of Hormuz – which handles around 20 per cent of global oil and LNG traffic – has seen prices surge since the attack on Iran. Donald Trump condemned his Western allies for refusing to help secure it, while Araghchi previously said the Strait “is open to friends and non-hostile countries, but closed to enemies and those who collaborate with them”.
The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and US assets in the region, with the conflict now into its fourth week. Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have also traded cross-border strikes.
Iran has reported over 1,500 deaths since the start of the war. The US has confirmed at least 13 military service personnel killed and over 200 wounded, with around two dozen fatalities admitted by the Israeli side.
Iran International TV,via Viory.Video
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