Iran's Armed Forces Responsible for Taking Action in Hormuz

Tehran (ANTARA) - The head of Iran’s Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Ebrahim Azizi, said on Monday (27/4) that under the draft parliamentary plan, the general staff of Iran’s armed forces would be the authority responsible for taking action in the Strait of Hormuz.

Azizi made the statement in an interview with the state television station, IRIB TV, while explaining the articles in the final draft of the “Strategic Action Plan to Ensure Security and Progress in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf”, which will be submitted for a vote by Iran’s legislative body.

Azizi said the plan consists of nearly 11 articles and aims to restrict the passage of enemy ships through the strait. He added that the plan absolutely prohibits all ships affiliated with Israel from crossing the waterway route.

“Based on the plan, it is estimated that the financial proceeds obtained from the Strait of Hormuz will be in Iran’s currency, namely the rial,” said Azizi.

He stated that all parties, the government, and countries that have caused losses and damage to Iran, frozen Iran’s assets, or carried out hostile actions against Iran in recent years must pay compensation.

Azizi said Iran’s armed forces have fully and intelligently controlled the strait based on orders received from higher echelons of power in Iran’s government structure. He emphasised that this parliamentary plan was drafted based on steps proposed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who stressed the need for the implementation of new management over the strait.

In a separate statement, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the same parliamentary committee, said the plan will soon be enacted into law (UU) after Iran’s parliament reconvenes, and the law will be submitted to the government for implementation, according to IRIB.

Boroujerdi said Iran’s Central Bank has opened four special accounts in rial, yuan, US dollar, and euro currencies to store the levies received by the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with applicable directives.

Iran has tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz following joint attacks launched by Israel and the United States against Iran on 28 February. The United States has also imposed a naval blockade targeting ships heading to and from Iran, after peace negotiations between the two parties in Islamabad, Pakistan, failed.