Khaberni - The first Vice President of Iran, Mohammad Reza Aref, confirmed that the Islamic Republic of Iran will defend at any cost its right to control the Strait of Hormuz.
The state-run broadcasting corporation quoted Aref as saying: "The Islamic Republic will defend its right to control the Strait of Hormuz at the negotiating table or in the field."
Previously, the Central Command of the Iranian Armed Forces announced that Tehran had resumed military control over the Strait of Hormuz due to the American blockade and its excessive demands.
In the same context, Mohammad Saleh Jokar, the head of the Internal Affairs and Councils Committee in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz is currently managed by the naval forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
He added that the current situation comes after the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, where it was decided that commercial navigation in the strait would proceed under an administrative system overseen by the naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard, with the emphasis that commercial ships of non-hostile countries would pass from the north to the south of Larak Island.
He explained that these ships comply with paying transit fees in exchange for the security provided by the Revolutionary Guard forces during the transit journey, denying that anything else has occurred outside this framework.
This comes at a time when diplomatic efforts continue to resume negotiations between Washington and Tehran, where the Supreme Council of National Security of Iran has recently received new American proposals through the Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir and is currently considering them.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran against imposing fees on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as "a very bad and disgraceful act" and contrary to the agreements reached.
The US Central Command announced the start of a new safe passage operation in the strait to encourage the free flow of international trade, while the naval force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned that any attempt by US military ships to pass would be met with "a harsh reaction."
