Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Aug 21: Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump’s repeated claim that Washington has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that the strategically vital waterway remains under Iranian control and will not be fully reopened to international shipping unless the US meets Tehran’s demands.
Iranian Consul General in Mumbai Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh told ANI on Thursday that Trump’s assertion was “false”, rejecting his claim that the US had destroyed Iran’s naval and missile forces.
Motlagh said Tehran was prepared to reopen the strait once Washington fulfilled its commitments and accepted Iran’s conditions under a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Trump had said on Tuesday that the US had “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade and backed the idea of declaring the strategic waterway US territory.
He also said the passage remained open, while warning that Iran could still attempt to disrupt shipping by laying mines. The comments came as Washington continued to use control of the waterway as a major source of pressure on Tehran.
Motlagh said any arrangement concerning the Strait of Hormuz would have to protect Iran as well as countries along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
He said Tehran would not accept any agreement that caused damage to Iranian territory.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has separately said the strait would remain closed to full international shipping until Washington fulfils the commitments outlined in the MoU.
These conditions include lifting the US blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, lifting oil sanctions and ending threats and military operations against Iran.
Ghalibaf also described Washington’s actions as a “breach of covenant” and warned that Iran was prepared to launch a renewed military response if it considered the ceasefire understanding to have been violated.
Trump widens pressure campaign
The latest dispute over the Strait of Hormuz comes as Trump has announced a fresh economic offensive against Iran, warning that countries providing Tehran with “any type of lifeline” could face “tremendous” economic consequences.
Trump said the US was preparing what he described as the “most crushing” economic operation ever imposed on a country, targeting financial and commercial support that could help Iran withstand the pressure.
He did not immediately specify which countries or entities could face penalties.
The warning raises the prospect of increased pressure on countries and businesses that continue trading with Iran, as Washington seeks to combine the naval blockade with tighter economic isolation.
Iran, meanwhile, continues to reject US claims over control of the Strait of Hormuz and has linked any full reopening of the waterway to a broader package of political and economic concessions.