PREVIEW

Iran Says It Will Not Close Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations says Tehran has no plans to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters that while Iran will keep the waterway open, it still has the right to protect security in the region. His comments came after Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, suggested that blocking the strait could remain a strategic option. Iravani stressed that Iran respects freedom of navigation under international law. However, he blamed the current tensions in the Gulf on what he called destabilizing actions by the United States, particularly recent military strikes against Iran. The remarks come as Washington considers sending naval escorts for ships traveling through the strait. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies, carrying a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
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