The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy threatens to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to the US decision to end sanction waivers on Iranian oil imports.
Illustrative: The Iranian warship Alborz, foreground, prepares to leave Iran’s waters at the Strait of Hormuz, in this photo released by the semi-official Fars News Agency, April 7, 2015. (AP/Fars News Agency, Mahdi Marizad)
“According to international law, the Strait of Hormuz is a marine passageway and if we are barred from using it, we will shut it down,” General Alireza Tangsiri says according to the Reuters news agency, citing Iran’s semi-official news agency Fars.
“In case of any threat, we will have not even an iota of doubt to protect and defend the Iranian waters,” he adds.
Reuters also quotes an unnamed source in Iran’s oil ministry as saying that “whether the waivers continue or not, Iran’s oil exports will not be zero under any circumstances unless Iranian authorities decide to stop oil exports … and this is not relevant now.
“We have years of experience in neutralizing efforts by enemies to strike blows against our country,” the source reportedly tells the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
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