Iran: "Even if Strait of Hormuz Opens, Warships Cannot Pass"

Iran has tentatively agreed with Oman on negotiations for rules regarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but asserted that warships will be excluded from passage authorization.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, emphasized this during an appearance on state television on the 25th local time, stating, "Commercial vessels entering the Persian Gulf will pass through Iranian territorial waters, while those exiting will pass partly through Iranian territorial waters and partly through Omani territorial waters."

Iran's ban on warships passing through the Strait of Hormuz virtually targets the U.S. military.

The U.S. military is known to be escorting some commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz in defiance of Iranian threats.

Deputy Minister Gharibabadi's remarks effectively re-emphasize Iran's existing stance that passage through the Strait of Hormuz relying on U.S. warships is not permitted without Iranian authorization.

In response to the economic war declared by the United States, Iran is also stepping up its diplomatic efforts.

In a letter sent to the United Nations Secretary-General on the 26th, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi defined U.S. sanctions as "economic terrorism" and requested that the UN investigate the resulting humanitarian damage and impact suffered by the Iranian people.

The stance is that U.S. sanctions are causing damage even to humanitarian sectors prohibited by international law, such as food, medicine, medical services, energy, and transportation.

Minister Araghchi also appealed to countries not to recognize or implement U.S. sanctions designed to force changes in Iran's legal economic and trade relations.

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), also claimed on the 26th that the United States and Israel are pressuring the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect Iranian nuclear facilities.

He argued that they are urging the IAEA to assess how effective their bombings targeting Iranian nuclear facilities were.

Eslami pointed out that "Iran is still in a wartime situation, and the damaged nuclear facilities are not yet safe enough to be inspected," adding that "no such protocol exists in the IAEA."

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.