Ebrahim Azizi, a high-ranking member of the Iranian Parliament and a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced that legislation to control the Strait of Hormuz will soon be officially enacted, asserting that “Iran will decide all passage rights.”
Azizi, who is the chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, stated in a BBC interview on the 19th that “this is our inalienable right.” He is considered a key figure in the hardline-dominated Iranian Parliament and is reflective of the views of some of the top decision-makers.
Azizi mentioned that they are submitting a bill to the Parliament based on Article 110 of the Constitution, which includes matters of environment, maritime safety, and national security, stating that “the military will enforce this law.”
In response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, demanding its opening, Azizi said, “I do not expect much from someone who distorts the truth,” and emphasized that “we are merely defending our rights against U.S. threats.”
Azizi’s comments come amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. The BBC noted that “it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not a short-term crisis that will be resolved in a day or two.”
Experts believe that Iran is unlikely to open the Strait of Hormuz as before. They see Iran’s control of the strait not only as a negotiation card but also as a long-term deterrence measure against the U.S. Mohammad Eslami, a researcher from Tehran University, stated, “After the war, Iran’s top priority is to regain deterrence capability, and the Strait of Hormuz is one of Iran’s major strategic levers,” adding, “Tehran is open to discussing how other nations can benefit from Iran’s new strait system, but control is a core element that cannot be compromised.”
However, Iran’s stance is facing backlash from surrounding Persian Gulf countries. Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic advisor to the UAE President, recently labeled Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as “hostile piracy” in a BBC interview, warning that if Iran does not abandon this, it will set a “dangerous precedent” for other strategic waterways globally.
In response to Gargash’s remarks, Azizi retorted by mentioning the numerous U.S. military bases and infrastructure spread across Middle Eastern pro-American countries, calling them the “real pirates who sold our region to the Americans.” He added, “The U.S. is the world’s largest pirate,” and emphasized, “We have always advocated for cooperation to ensure regional security.”
Azizi also dismissed recent observations of potential internal divisions within Iran, stating, “There is no moderate or hardline approach when it comes to national security.”