In a move that underscores the widening gap between Western diplomatic goals and Tehran’s strategic reality, Ebrahim Azizi, a senior Iranian lawmaker and former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has asserted that Iran will never relinquish control over the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking to the BBC, Azizi characterized the waterway—through which a significant portion of the world’s petroleum passes—as an \"inalienable right,\" signaling that Iran intends to dictate transit permissions indefinitely.
The rhetoric is being backed by legislative action. Azizi, who chairs the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, revealed that a new bill is being drafted to institutionalize this control. Invoking Article 110 of the Iranian constitution, the proposed law would integrate environmental protection and maritime security into a broader national defense framework, effectively giving the armed forces a permanent mandate to oversee the strait's operations.
This stance poses a direct challenge to the United States and its regional allies, particularly the United Arab Emirates, who have sought a permanent reopening of the strait as a cornerstone of any long-term peace settlement. By framing the strait as a permanent asset rather than a temporary bargaining chip, Tehran is signaling that its grip on global energy flows is a fundamental pillar of its regional architecture, one that it is unlikely to trade away at any negotiating table.
With reporting from InfoMoney.
Source · InfoMoney
