The Iranian army warned on Thursday that the continued presence of US manned and unmanned military aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz threatens regional security and vowed a “swift and decisive” response to any American interference in the strategic waterway.
In a statement carried by the semi-official Fars News Agency, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the continued presence of US fighter jets and drones over the Strait of Hormuz “has caused insecurity in this waterway and will threaten regional security.”
Iran “will not hesitate to take any action” to repel “any aggression and violation by the US military and its supporters in defense of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”
“Any American interference in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with a decisive and swift response from the armed forces,” the statement said
READ: Tehran vows ‘immediate powerful response’ to threats against Iranian people, leadership
The headquarters described the Strait of Hormuz as “the sovereign territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and that the security and stability of the strategic waterway constitute “a red line” for the country’s armed forces.
It also reiterated that all oil tankers and commercial vessels must use the navigation route designated by Iran when transiting the strait.
According to the statement, any vessel failing to comply with Iran’s designated route or navigation protocols will face “an immediate and forceful response” from the armed forces and risk its own security.
Iran and the US reached the memorandum of understanding on June 18 called for extending the ceasefire reached earlier for 60 days, lifting the US naval blockade on Iran, and the full reopening of Strait of Hormuz.
Technical negotiations to implement the memorandum and agree on a final deal that will also include consensus on the status of Iran’s nuclear program continue under joint Qatari-Pakistani mediation.
