Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Jul 5: Iran has cautioned against any foreign military activity in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, asserting that security in the vital waterway is the exclusive responsibility of Iran and Oman.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said Tehran would not accept military deployments by countries outside the region, describing the strait as unsuitable for "transregional powers" to project military strength.
In a post on social media platform X, Gharibabadi said Iran, as the authority responsible for safeguarding security in the Strait of Hormuz, was warning against any military movement in the sensitive maritime corridor. He also rejected a joint statement issued on Friday by outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the security of the waterway.
In their statement, Starmer and Macron described the Strait of Hormuz as a critical route for global trade and stressed that ensuring safe passage for commercial shipping was a matter of international concern. They said Oman had agreed to work with Britain and France to help maintain safe navigation in its territorial waters and added that both countries were prepared to deploy a broader multinational military mission to support freedom of navigation in the region.
Meanwhile, Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, citing maritime tracking data, reported that eight vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz along Oman's coastline were turned back on Saturday.
A report by Bloomberg also said several ships had approached the entrance to the strategic chokepoint near the Musandam Peninsula before abruptly reversing course. According to the report, one crude oil tanker, two product tankers and a bulk carrier subsequently changed direction and sailed north on an outbound route after receiving instructions from Iranian authorities.
Iran has significantly tightened control over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, when it restricted the passage of vessels linked to Israel and the United States following joint military strikes on Iranian territory.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important maritime trade routes, carrying a substantial share of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports. Any disruption to shipping through the narrow waterway has the potential to impact international energy markets and global trade.