The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations said on Thursday that Tehran will not close the Strait of Hormuz, but added that it is Iran’s inherent right to preserve the security of the main shipping route.
Amir Saeid Iravani made his comments to reporters at the UN when asked about the remarks of the new Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who said on Thursday that the ‘lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used’.
‘We will not close the Strait of Hormuz’, Iravani said. ‘But it is our inherent right to preserve peace and security along this waterway.’
In a prepared statement that he read to reporters before answering questions, Iravani said that ‘Iran fully respects and remains committed to the principle of freedom of navigation under the law of the sea’.
‘However, the current situation in the region, including the Strait of Hormuz, is not the result of the lawful exercise of Iran’s right to self-defense.’
‘On the contrary, it is the direct consequence of the United States’ destabilizing actions in launching aggression against Iran and undermining regional security.’
He said he had no answer to a comment by the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, who told Sky News in an interview on Thursday that the U.S. Navy, perhaps with an international coalition, would escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz when it is militarily feasible.
