TEHRAN: An adviser to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander has said routes in the Strait of Hormuz that Tehran considers illegal will soon be closed.
Mohammadreza Naqdi told the semi-official Fars News Agency that the routes along Oman’s coast were being used by small boats to smuggle oil and transfer it to tankers.
Naqdi said Iran considers the Strait of Hormuz closed and claimed Iranian armed forces have full control of the strategic waterway until Tehran’s demands are met.
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran would not give up its right to enrich uranium, describing recognition of that right as a red line in any discussions with the United States.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran had failed to reach an agreement with Washington and claimed Tehran had lost control of the Strait of Hormuz. Vice President JD Vance has said any nuclear agreement would require Iran to significantly reduce its enrichment capacity.
The competing positions come amid continued tensions over the strategic waterway and Iran’s nuclear programme.