Iran Refuses to Open the Strait of Hormuz and Makes New Demands on the U.S.
Iran has no plans to open the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. meets a number of conditions, said the country’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Tehran is demanding that Washington lift oil sanctions, unfreeze Iranian assets, cease actions related to the closure of the strait, and halt military operations and threats on all fronts.
Ghalibaf stated that Iran is prepared to respond to U.S. actions proportionately and inflict even greater damage on the American side.
The Strait of Hormuz is of strategic importance to the global energy market, as a significant portion of maritime oil and gas shipments pass through it.
Source: Mehr.
Hardline Iranian leaders may have developed a plan to prepare for a new phase of the war. According to The Wall Street Journal, Tehran is tightening its control over the military, increasing the production of missiles and drones, and attempting to expand the zone of conflict.
The heavy losses of Reaper drones in the war with Iran highlight one of the main challenges of modern warfare: even an expensive, high-tech drone can quickly become vulnerable when operating against an enemy with a powerful air defense system. The Washington Post reports on this.
The U.S. has sufficient military resources to maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hagseth stated that American ships can continuously rotate in the region, so Washington is capable of maintaining pressure on Tehran for as long as necessary.
