Kamal Ghorui
Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz could be shut again if the United States maintains its naval blockade, while launching a sharp attack on President Donald Trump’s claims, accusing him of spreading “seven lies in one hour”.In a post on X, Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed Trump’s recent remarks, saying: “The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false.” He added that Washington “did not win the war with these lies, and they certainly will not get anywhere in negotiations either,” signalling Tehran’s hardening stance as tensions over the vital waterway continue.“The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false. 2. They did not win the war with these lies, and they certainly will not get anywhere in negotiations either. 3. With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open. 4- Passage through the Strait of Hormuz shall be conducted based on the “designated route” and with “Iranian authorisation,” he wrote on X.The warning comes despite Iran’s announcement that it had reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping following days of disruption linked to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran-backed forces. However, officials made clear that any reopening remains conditional. Qalibaf said bluntly that “with the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open,” underlining that access to the route — through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil flows — remains firmly under Iranian control.Iranian authorities have also indicated that passage through the strait will be tightly regulated. Ships must follow “designated routes” and operate with “Iranian authorisation”, suggesting that Tehran intends to maintain operational control even as traffic resumes. Qalibaf insisted that decisions on whether the strait is open or closed “shall be determined by the field, not by social networks,” a direct swipe at Trump’s earlier claim that the waterway was “fully open”.Data from maritime tracking firms suggests that vessel movement remains restricted to corridors requiring Iranian approval, reinforcing doubts over how “open” the strait truly is. The uncertainty has kept global energy markets on edge, even as oil prices briefly eased on hopes of renewed diplomacy.Trump, for his part, has said the US blockade will remain “in full force” until a broader agreement with Iran is secured, including over its nuclear programme. He has also suggested that fresh talks could take place soon, saying Tehran “wants to make a deal”.
