Summary Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran was not intimidated by US threats or displays of military force
TEHRAN (Web Desk) - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has rejected US President Donald Trump’s remarks about declaring the Strait of Hormuz US territory, saying Tehran alone has the authority to open or close the strategic waterway.
Gharibabadi said Iran was not intimidated by US threats or displays of military force, stressing that the Strait of Hormuz “was, is and will remain Iranian.”
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by a tweet, an aircraft carrier or any order,” the Iranian deputy foreign minister said.
He added that Iran would continue its blockade until the United States accepted defeat and abandoned what he described as its “delusions.”
Also Read: Trump says 'US will soon declare Hormuz its territory' as Iran conflict drives up fuel costs
Trump had earlier said he would soon announce plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the United States was preparing to impose severe economic pressure on Iran in an effort to force Tehran to end the war.
Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator for talks with the United States, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, has said negotiations with Washington were suspended following an Israeli strike in southern Beirut that killed a senior Hezbollah commander.
According to Iranian media, Qalibaf said Hezbollah’s intelligence chief was killed along with members of his family in the latest Israeli attack on the Dahiyeh area of southern Beirut.
“After that, we stopped everything right there,” Qalibaf said.
