The Joint Military Command of the Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) issued a statement claiming that control over the Strait of Hormuz has now “returned to its previous state,” after the Americans said that their move to unblock the strait would not mean an end to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
In the statement published by the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC command said that the United States had “continued its acts of piracy and maritime theft under the guise of a so-called blockade.”
“For this reason, control over the Strait of Hormuz has been returned to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is now under strict management and control of the armed forces,” the statement said.
It added that as long as the United States does not establish full freedom of navigation for vessels traveling from Iran to their destinations and back, the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain under strict control and in its previous state.
The statement comes the morning after U.S. President Donald Trump said that the U.S. blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches an agreement with Washington, including on its nuclear program.
It should be recalled that yesterday it was reported that Iran had unblocked the Strait of Hormuz after an agreement was reached regarding a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon. However, that situation lasted only a few hours.
