Iran has said it will never relinquish control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, with a senior lawmaker describing the waterway as an essential part of the country’s sovereignty.
According to Iranian state media Press TV, Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the vital corridor would remain under the full control of the Islamic Republic.
Azizi, a former IRGC commander, made the remarks in an interview in Tehran on Sunday. When asked whether Iran would ever give up its authority over the strait, he replied, “never,” calling it an “inalienable right.”
He called Washington “the biggest pirate in the world,” pointing to the widespread presence of US military bases across West Asia.