Iran Warns Strait of Hormuz Lockdown Will Block Regional Oil Sales

Iranian politician Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that no country in the region will be able to sell oil if Iran cannot, due to its restricted transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The restriction is tied to 'the illegal US-Israeli aggression on the country' that began on February 28 and ended with a ceasefire on April 8. According to Qalibaf, the security of the strait depends on the absence of US forces.

The tension revolves around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil trade route, where the United States claims it has 'fully cleared mines' from the area and maintains a naval blockade against Iran with 50,000 troops. However, Qalibaf disputes this, saying that ships have transported only 'around 750 million barrels of oil from the Persian Gulf over recent months with US assistance.'

Qalibaf emphasized that as long as Iranian infrastructure is not secure, no infrastructure will be safe. He tied this condition to the absence of American forces in the region and warned that 'the security of the Hormuz Strait is linked to the absence of American forces in the region.'