Iran says ‘enemy’ weapons shipments will not be allowed to transit Strait of Hormuz
- Iran says it will no longer allow hostile military shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Tehran signals a tougher stance over control of the strategic waterway amid regional tensions.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has said Tehran will no longer allow military equipment belonging to what he described as “enemy” states to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
In remarks reported by Iranian media, Aref said Iran had previously allowed military shipments to transit through the strategic waterway, including equipment later used against the country, but insisted that policy would not continue.
“We had given up our right of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz,” Aref said, adding that Iran would no longer permit the passage of such cargo through the strait.
The comments mark Tehran’s latest assertion of control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy transit routes through which a significant share of global oil and gas supplies passes.
Iranian officials have recently expanded claims over the waterway’s operational boundaries while tightening maritime oversight amid ongoing tensions with the United States and ‘Israel’.
Aref’s statement is likely to heighten concerns over freedom of navigation in the Gulf and could intensify pressure on global energy markets if restrictions on military-linked transit are enforced.
