Senior military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mohsen Rezaee, on Monday rejected US President Donald Trump’s remarks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that Iran would not permit any shipping route through the strategic waterway other than the one designated by Tehran.
Rezaee was responding to Trump’s comments that discussions were underway to “completely” reopen the strait, with Iran’s denuclearisation forming the second phase of negotiations. “The US had accepted Iran’s arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz under the (Islamabad) MoU but later violated the agreement. The US not only breached the MoU but also launched attacks without first referring the dispute to the designated dispute resolution panel,” Rezaee said, according to Press TV.
He claimed Iran had responded forcefully to the alleged breach. “In the 17 days of fighting after the MoU was breached, we dealt severe blows to the US. We made it clear to the US that we have both missiles and the capability to defend ourselves. Even if the US sends warships through an unauthorised route into the Strait of Hormuz, we will target them. We will not allow any route other than Iran’s designated route to be established in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Rezaee’s remarks followed Trump’s statement that negotiations with Iran were underway to fully reopen the strait, with the first phase of the new talks focused specifically on opening the key shipping route. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after signing an executive order, Trump said progress could come as early as Tuesday. “Well, we’ll find out today or tomorrow. I mean, they’re going to go quickly one way or the other. It’s not very complex. We’re talking about the Strait, the opening of the Strait, having it open, literally by tomorrow. Completely open. And that’s Phase 1,” he said.
He added that the second phase would focus on dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities. “Phase 2 is we then will talk about the nuclear capacity… I think most accurately, the denuclearisation of Iran has to happen. Has to happen. That’ll be the second phase. But the first phase is the opening of the Strait, and the second phase will be the denuclearisation… They cannot have a nuclear weapon. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and I have never changed that position,” Trump said.
Trump earlier described the current round of diplomacy as Iran’s “last chance” to reach an agreement, claiming Washington had paused a planned military strike after requests from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Iran to pursue diplomacy instead. He also alleged that Iran had sought negotiations while publicly denying that talks were taking place. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, however, has rejected reports of any direct or indirect negotiations with Washington, maintaining that Tehran is not engaged in bilateral talks with the United States.
