Iran is pledging to continue its stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, even as the clock ticks for them to reopen the key waterway or face U.S. strikes on its power plants and bridges.
“The Strait of Hormuz will never return to its former state, especially for the US and Israel,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said in a statement on Sunday.
Instead, Iran’s navy said it has been working on “completing operational preparations” for what it called a “new Persian Gulf order.”
Part of that new order appears to already be taking shape.
Last week, Iran’s parliament approved a $2 million toll for ships transiting the strait. The same bill also bans vessels from countries that have imposed sanctions on Iran from crossing the waterway.
These moves come in the face of significant pressure from President Donald Trump, who has urged Tehran to reopen the strait or face large-scale strikes on civilian infrastructure.
While more ships have passed through, including from Western nations, traffic is still down significantly.
MIKE TURNER DOUBTS GROUND TROOPS WILL BE ‘NECESSARY’ TO REOPEN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Trump intensified that threat on Sunday, vowing to blow up the “whole country” of Iran if Hormuz is still closed on Tuesday night.
Iran has consistently projected defiance in response to Trump’s deadlines, saying it will respond “in kind” to any such attack and “open the gates of Hell” in response.
