Control of the Hormuz Strait Crucial for Iran’s National Security

Published 40 minutes ago

A senior Iranian official, who is the chief negotiator in talks with the United States, has stated that Iran’s national security heavily depends on control of the Hormuz Strait. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who also serves as Iran’s parliamentary speaker, described his country’s situation as a struggle for survival against the US. He emphasized that both negotiations and military confrontations are part of Iran’s strategy of resistance.

The US military has announced that the recent wave of attacks against Iran has ended. Iranian media reported multiple missile strikes near a children’s cancer hospital in Ahvaz city, which forced the hospital’s evacuation. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued a warning to Tehran to reform. According to US military sources, recent strikes targeted Iranian capabilities that pose threats to vessels passing through the Hormuz Strait.

The US also claimed to have struck a ship involved in attempts to breach a maritime blockade at Iranian ports. Iran, in turn, reported conducting strikes on US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. Negotiator Ghalibaf stated that if an agreement does not benefit Iran, there is no reason to continue abiding by it.

On why Trump praised Tehran, the US president commended Iran for allowing an Iranian-American philanthropist, Dena Karari, who had been detained in Iran for the past 18 months, to leave the country. When journalists asked Trump on Wednesday about his earlier comments regarding a potential attack on Iran’s energy centers and bridges next week, and whether he has a timeline in mind, Trump replied, “I don’t like to set deadlines. But they know… they should reform.”