DUBAI, March 22 — The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to “Iran’s enemies”, Iranian media reports published today quoted Iran’s representative to the United Nations maritime agency as saying.
Ali Mousavi’s comments came from an interview published on Friday by Chinese news agency Xinhua, before United States President Donald Trump’s threat to target Iranian power plants if the strait is not “fully open” within 48 hours.
The threat of Iranian attacks during the US-Israel war on Iran has kept most ships from getting through the narrow strait, the conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, threatening a global energy shock.
Mousavi, who is also Iran’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, was also quoted as saying that Tehran would continue to cooperate with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to improve maritime safety and protect seafarers in the Gulf, adding that ships not belonging to “Iran’s enemies” could pass the strait by coordinating security and safety arrangements with Tehran.
“Diplomacy remains Iran’s priority. However, a complete cessation of aggression as well as mutual trust and confidence are more important,” Mousavi said, adding that Israeli and US attacks against Iran are at the “root of the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz”.
