Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said early Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened except under “Iranian arrangements,” rejecting what he described as U.S. threats.
In a post on X, Qalibaf wrote, “The United States has still not learned that intimidation and breaking promises no longer come without consequences.” He added, “Let me be clear: If you strike, you will be struck.”
His remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a new round of strikes against Iran, warning of “far worse” consequences if Tehran continued targeting vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. military launched additional strikes on Iran on Wednesday aimed at keeping the strategic waterway open to international shipping.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out further strikes to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump also said, “We just hit them very hard. Every time they hit us, we’ll hit them back twenty times harder.”
Control over the Strait of Hormuz—which carried around one-fifth of global oil supplies before the war—has given Iran significant strategic leverage.
The Strait remains a central flashpoint in the conflict that erupted on 28 February following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Despite U.S. objections, Iran insists that the pre-war status quo in the Strait of Hormuz—when vessels transited without Iranian fees or oversight—will not be restored. Tehran has also warned that ships attempting to use routes other than the single navigation lane it has authorized along its coastline could be targeted.
AFP
