The commander-in-chief of the Iranian Army, Amir Hatami, warned that Tehran will prevent US forces from re-entering the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as rejecting a possible reestablishment of US bases in the Middle East.
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The general stated that the expulsion of the United States from the region “has already become a reality” and affirmed that their forces “no longer have permission” to operate in those waters.
“Everyone must know that, under no circumstances, will US bases be able to return to the previous situation, and Iran will never allow that to happen,” Hatami said during an event for Journalism Day in Iran, held on August 8 and later broadcast by the Tasnim agency.
The military chief also claimed Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the main maritime routes for global oil transport, and placed it among Tehran’s demands to end the conflict.
“The sacred Strait of Hormuz is one of the conditions to end the war; we will preserve it with all our capabilities,” he stated.
Hatami’s statements contrast with the position expressed by the US president, Donald Trump, who has maintained that Washington controls the strait.
Before the war began, about 20% of the world’s oil passed through that maritime route.
Tehran has kept the passage through Hormuz closed since mid-July, after new US bombings against southern Iran. The Islamic Republic responded by attacking US targets in other Middle Eastern countries, while Washington reestablished a naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels.
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Iran has conditioned the reopening of the strait on the United States ending the war, lifting the blockade on its ports and ships, and allowing the sale of Iranian oil in international markets again.
Maritime tension has increased in recent days. Another Iranian high-ranking officer, General Alí Abdolahi, warned that the Armed Forces could prevent exports and imports in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea if the United States maintains the naval blockade.
According to Abdolahi, the continuation of that measure would constitute a violation of the ceasefire agreed upon between the two countries.
Despite the increase in military warnings, diplomatic contacts between the two countries have not stopped.
Iran confirmed that it maintains message exchanges with the United States through Pakistan, following the latest round of negotiations between the parties.
“Since Sunday itself, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran, numerous messages have been exchanged through the Pakistani intermediary. Our positions were very clear there and also during these exchanges,” said the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Bagaei.
According to the spokesperson, a Pakistani delegation could travel to Tehran to continue efforts aimed at agreeing on new talks, as the ceasefire between Iran and the United States approaches expiration.
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