Iran Declares Strait of Hormuz Will Remain Under Its Control

Iran has asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is and will always remain under Tehran’s ownership and control.

Chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, Ebrahim Azizi, made the statement on Tuesday.

Azizi described the strait as a comprehensive economic, political and military lever, according to reports by the state news agency ISNA.

At the outset of the conflict, Iran closed the strait, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transits.

The United States subsequently imposed its own naval blockade in response.

Iran’s foreign ministry has said it has taken measures to restore shipping traffic in the strait, although many vessels remain stranded in the area.

Western nations, led by Britain, have urged the reopening of the strait, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warning that a prolonged closure could lead the world toward a global food crisis.