Tehran reaffirmed on Friday its right to control maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian administration warned Gulf states not to align with the United States, a day after the attack on a ship near Oman, an incident that highlighted how fragile the preliminary agreement meant to end the war with Iran is.
Iran reacted to what it described as a “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative” joint statement by the United States and six Gulf states, which rejected Tehran’s claim to levy taxes on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to hotnews.ro.
“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed based on ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes, or decisions that do not take into account Iran’s role as a riparian state,” announced Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi.
The state television of Iran announced that three foreign oil tankers, which attempted an “unauthorized crossing” of the Strait of Hormuz, were forced to turn back, after receiving a warning from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Further details about the incident have not been made public.
Asked about this information, an American official stated: “We are aware of these reports and are verifying them. President Donald Trump was very clear that Iran cannot hinder the free movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, at the end of a tour in the Gulf states, told journalists on Thursday that if Iran threatens or blocks ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, “we will have a problem.”
“The stability of the Arab states in the Persian Gulf is due to the fact that Iran has been administering the Strait of Hormuz for a century. Their strategic survival depends on Tehran’s tolerance,” conveyed Ali Akbar Velayati, the main advisor to the supreme leader of Iran.
The Taiwanese company Evergreen Marine announced on Friday that its ship Ever Lovely, under the Singaporean flag, was attacked near the coasts of Oman by an “unknown object” while following the route recommended by the British maritime security agency UKMTO. Nobody was injured, and the ship resumed its journey, exiting the Strait of Hormuz. Two American officials told Reuters that the ship was attacked by Iran.