A senior Iranian official said Iran will defend the Strait of Hormuz, calling it one of the country's deterrence components, according to ynet.
A senior Iranian official, whose name was not disclosed, said Sunday that Iran will defend the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a key component of the country's deterrence, according to a report by ynet. The statement comes later on the same day that earlier Iranian officials made more belligerent claims about the strategic waterway.
Earlier Sunday, The Zioneer reported three separate statements from Iranian officials. First, Ebrahim Rezaee, spokesman for the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz "with strength." Shortly after, Rezaee escalated his language, explicitly stating that Iran seized the strait "by force" and will hold it "by force." Then, Ibrahim Redai, the senior military advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, echoed that claim, saying Iran seized the Strait of Hormuz "by force" and will keep it "by force." All three statements were published at 09:06 Jerusalem.
The new statement from the anonymous senior official reframes the issue as one of deterrence rather than outright seizure. The Zioneer has previously reported on Iran's evolving stance on the Strait of Hormuz. On June 12, an Iranian official said the strait's management will remain under Iranian-Omani supervision but its future management will differ from the past. A Telegram source close to Tehran claimed on June 26 that Iran is leveraging the Hormuz issue to pressure President Trump. Dr. Doron Matza of the 301 analysis platform assessed on June 28 that Iran sees U.S. hesitation and is deliberately risking escalation over Hormuz. A source close to Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf warned on July 7 that confrontation with the U.S. is likely in the coming hours and that Iran is preparing to escalate in Hormuz.
The identity of the senior official cited by ynet remains unclear, and the new statement does not directly address the earlier "seized by force" claims. Whether this represents a unified Iranian messaging strategy or a separate track of signaling remains unverified.
5 developments
- StrongMedvedev: Strait of Hormuz is 'no less than nuclear weapons' for Iran
- DevelopingIran's top security official: US intervention not helpful in region, only Tehran controls Strait of Hormuz
- DevelopingSenior US official: Iran must announce free passage in Strait of Hormuz by tomorrow or face 'difficult military plans'
- StrongIran further clarifies nuclear stance: Hormuz management to shift, enriched uranium deferred
Source and signal
- Internal intake