Iran has warned that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States agrees to Tehran’s conditions, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.
Iranian military spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said the country’s armed forces were maintaining control of the waterway and would respond immediately to any fresh aggression by Washington.
Speaking at an event in Pishva County, Tehran Province, on Friday, he said Iran’s military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Law Enforcement Command were now better prepared following their direct confrontation with the US and Israel, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
The event was held to honour commanders and pilots killed during the June 5, 1963 uprising.
Akraminia said public support had also boosted the morale of Iranian military personnel.
Before the war, around 130 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily, carrying approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil supplies, as well as jet fuel and chemical fertilisers.
He warned that any new US aggression would trigger an immediate response, adding that American bases and interests in the Persian Gulf and beyond West Asia were within the reach of Iranian drones and missiles.
According to Akraminia, Iran’s armed forces would follow the instructions of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei to respond swiftly and effectively, without geographical limitations.
Citing US officials, the military spokesperson estimated that Washington had incurred more than US$48 billion (about RM203 billion) in direct war costs, while indirect losses could continue for years.
He also pointed to the Republican Party’s declining performance in elections and protests taking place in European countries as further signs of the wider impact of the conflict.
Akraminia added that 251 consecutive nights of public solidarity gatherings had further strengthened national unity in Iran.
