Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday evening that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war state, and warned that any European warship attempting to approach the strait to clear mines would be considered a legitimate target. He also stated that Iran has discovered a new defensive capability named 'Strait of Hormuz,' which has become part of the country's national security, according to N12.
The new statement from Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, reported Tuesday evening by N12, marks a significant hardening of Tehran's rhetoric regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Gharibabadi explicitly warned that any European warship approaching the strait to clear mines would be considered a legitimate target — a direct threat to international naval efforts to restore safe passage. He also asserted that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war state and that Iran has developed a new defensive capability bearing the strait's name, which has become part of the country's national security.
The statement follows earlier remarks by Gharibabadi earlier Tuesday, as The Zioneer reported at 19:40, in which he described the strait as part of Iran's national security and criticized a tripartite mechanism between the US, Israel, and Lebanon. The latest threat to European warships extends the confrontation beyond the US and Israel, signaling that Tehran views any outside intervention as a casus belli.
The broader context: Iran has maintained a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since June 2026, following US strikes on southern Iranian targets. As The Zioneer has reported in multiple articles, Tehran has repeatedly insisted the strait will remain closed, and has attacked vessels attempting to bypass the blockade. The new language suggests Iran is preparing for a protracted standoff, with the strait itself framed as a defensive asset.
It remains unclear whether European naval forces are actively planning mine-clearing operations in the strait, and whether Iran's threat will translate into direct action.
2 developments
- DevelopingIran blocks Omani plan for third-party mine clearance in Strait of Hormuz, deputy FM says
- DevelopingIranian Deputy FM: Hormuz is part of our national security; tripartite mechanism violates MOU
- DevelopingIranian deputy foreign minister: Strait of Hormuz reopening is only partial
- StrongIranian source threatens to attack any vessel crossing the Strait of Hormuz
Source and signal
- Open-source intake