Iran warns Strait of Hormuz is a ‘red line’ and will resist until the end
The United States launched its fifth night of attacks on Wednesday and reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Washington said it was aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed by Iran last Saturday after a fragile ceasefire collapsed.
Following the initial attacks on Wednesday night, Tehran’s chief negotiator, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, issued a statement: “We are in a fundamental and existential war with America.” The Strait of Hormuz, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the war, is a “red line” over which Iran maintains tight control, Iranian military spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said on Thursday.
Also Read: Iran-linked ships pass through Hormuz ahead of US blockade
“The Americans thought they could take control of this strategic strait by attacking some of our bases on the southern coast of the country,” Akraminia said.
“However, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the ability to control the Strait of Hormuz from every point of its territory, and this issue never depends on the coasts and islands.” Three US officials told Reuters that US strikes aimed at forcing open the strait also target Iranian military capabilities that the US would like to destroy before carrying out more complex operations.
The Iranian army had previously said about the strait: “We will undoubtedly resist until the end and neutralize American interventions in the region.” An Iranian military spokesman said the only way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is for the United States to implement the 14-article memorandum of understanding the two sides signed in June and “Iranian regulations” regarding ship traffic in the strait.
IRAN WARNES TRUMP AGAINST HITTING ITS INFRASTRUCTURE
Trump on Tuesday threatened to hit Iranian power plants and bridges next week if Tehran does not resume negotiations.
Akraminia said that if Trump carries out his threat, Iranian armed forces will strike “all remaining infrastructure” in the region and the response will be fiercer, more widespread and more destructive than previous attacks.
Iran announced on Thursday that it was targeting US bases in Kuwait and Jordan, warning its neighbors that allowing the US to attack it would not go unanswered. “Our neighbors must know that providing bases for the Americans and allowing them to open fire on Iranian territory is unacceptable and will not go unanswered,” the Iranian military said in a statement. he said.
In the Middle East, sirens wailed in Bahrain early Thursday and Kuwait announced it was responding to “hostile drone threats.”
While the Iranian army stated that it targeted Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan with ballistic missiles, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that they destroyed the satellite communication center and early warning radar at Ali Al Salem Air Base, as well as a US military pier in Kuwait’s Al Shuaiba region.
Also Read: After Hormuz, Iran turned to the Red Sea gate as a new pressure point
Bahrain’s Ministry of Defense said the country’s air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a series of Iranian air strikes targeting the kingdom on Thursday. Recent tensions and Iran’s threat to halt further regional energy exports and possibly damage regional infrastructure raise the possibility of a return to all-out war in the region.
Analysts say it signals that Iran could use its Houthi allies in Yemen to close the Bab al-Mandeb gate to the Red Sea, opening a new front against Washington and putting the second of the world’s most vital energy arteries at risk.
The war killed thousands and displaced millions; especially in Iran and Lebanon, where conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has resumed.
