The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman said Sunday that Iran will continue to hold the Strait of Hormuz until 'the enemy' accepts all of its conditions, according to Iranian media reports.
On Sunday, IRGC spokesman General Hossein Mahbi reiterated that Iran will hold the Strait of Hormuz until the enemy accepts all conditions, according to Iranian media reports. The statement did not specify which conditions or the identity of 'the enemy,' but the IRGC has previously framed its demands as an end to U.S. military intervention in the region.
The announcement follows a series of statements from the same spokesman on Saturday (Aug 8, 18:16 Jerusalem). He first said the strait would remain closed until all conditions were met, and later characterized the situation as a 'geographical battle.' The IRGC has been escalating its posture since early July, announcing the closure of the strait on July 12, claiming to have repelled oil tankers on July 30, and rejecting an American proposal on Aug 3. As The Zioneer reported on Aug 5, the IRGC postponed an agreement with Oman over the strait, citing U.S. interference. Qatari mediators have continued talks with Iran to secure IRGC support for a compromise that would route vessels through Iranian and Omani waters separately.
The latest statement from Mahbi may represent a hardening of the IRGC's position or a negotiating tactic. The specific conditions for reopening the strait remain unstated, and no independent verification of the IRGC's actual naval posture in the waterway is available.
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