Iranian officials have issued firm responses to escalating US threats to impose a naval blockade, insisting that control over the Strait of Hormuz will remain under Iranian and regional authority.
Mohsen Rezaee, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, stated that the United States would fail in any attempt to enforce a maritime blockade, asserting that Iran has previously prevailed in securing access to the Strait of Hormuz. He added that Iranian forces would not permit such a move, emphasising that Tehran possesses strategic leverage to counter any escalation, and dismissing US plans as unrealistic.
Defence Ministry and IRGC Signals
Iran’s Ministry of Defence reinforced this position, declaring that the management of the Strait of Hormuz will remain permanently in the hands of Iran and the region. The ministry stated that adversaries have failed to dismantle the Iranian state or impose control over the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that a unified resistance front is actively present across the region and prepared to confront any escalation. He added that both the United States and what he referred to as the Zionist entity would ultimately withdraw from the region without achieving their objectives.
Military Monitoring and Response Posture
The commander of the Iranian Navy confirmed that Iranian forces are closely monitoring all US military movements in the region, describing threats by Donald Trump to impose a naval blockade as baseless.
These statements follow Trump’s announcement on Sunday of immediate steps towards implementing a “comprehensive naval blockade” on all vessels entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came after the failure of negotiations in Islamabad to reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Escalation After Failed Negotiations
In a detailed statement published on Truth Social, Trump outlined the background of the nearly 20 hour negotiations held in Islamabad between US representatives J. D. Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, and the Iranian delegation including Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri Kani.
Trump stated that despite agreement on several points, Tehran’s insistence on maintaining its nuclear ambitions led to a deadlock, reiterating that Iran would not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.
He further accused Iran of engaging in “global blackmail” through alleged mining of international waters and the imposition of unlawful transit fees. Based on this, he ordered the immediate implementation of a naval blockade, with participation from allied countries, aimed at halting maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz until full security of the passage is ensured.
