Tehran, May 3 Iran's army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said that the country's armed forces are controlling the Strait of Hormuz, and no friendly or hostile vessel can transit the waterway without their permission.
Controlling the Strait of Hormuz is "an inherent right" of Iran, of which the country had not made use for years, Akraminia said, according to footage of his remarks carried by Iranian media.
"At present, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps in the west and the country's army in the east are controlling the strait with power, and no ship, friend or foe, will have the right to pass without the permission and authorization of our forces," he said.
Meanwhile, "different countries are anxiously and urgently requesting Iran through telexes and letters to let their ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Ghanbari as saying.
Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz beginning February 28, when it barred safe passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following joint strikes on Iranian territory, Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier on Thursday, asserting that a "new chapter" is being drawn in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that a new "legal framework" and management of the Strait of Hormuz will bring progress and comfort to all nations in the region.
In a message released on the occasion of the National Day of Persian Gulf, Mojtaba Khamenei said spotlighted the "sacrifices" made by Iran for the independence of the Persian Gulf and "confronting foreigners and aggressors" while terming the Islamic Revolution as a "turning point" of these resistances.
“This strategic asset has long provoked the greed of many evildoers over the centuries. The record of repeated invasions by European and American foreigners — the insecurities, damages, and multiple threats they have imposed on the region’s countries — reflects only a fraction of the malicious schemes of global oppressors against the peoples of the Persian Gulf,” the message read, Iran's Mehr news agency reported.
“The new legal framework and management system for the Strait of Hormuz will advance comfort and development for all the region’s nations, and its economic benefits will bring joy to the nation,” Iran's new Supreme Leader was quoted as saying.
The future of the Persian Gulf, he emphasised, will be bright and "free of America", devoted to progress, peace, and prosperity for its nations.
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