Iran says Hormuz remains closed
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a regional foreign ministers’ meeting in Oman was postponed after a request from some countries, even though Iran and Oman have already finalized an understanding on safe maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz. He said Tehran and Muscat will decide the next step together.
Baghaei also rejected US claims that Iran was behind an attack on a Saudi oil pipeline and denied any Iranian role in Yemen, saying Yemenis make their own decisions. He said the aim of such accusations is to fuel regional division.
On nuclear issues, Baghaei dismissed IAEA claims about activity near Mount Kolang near Natanz as media and psychological warfare. He also criticized Austria for denying a visa to Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, for an IAEA meeting in Vienna.
He added that an American unmanned underwater vehicle held by Iran was captured as a war spoil, not seized.
Meanwhile The IRGC Navy said the tanker Algaya, also known as El Gaia, exploded after hitting naval mines south of the Strait of Hormuz and is now fully on fire. The force said the ship ignored warnings and entered an unauthorized route, blaming the incident on violation of Iran’s maritime rules.
The IRGC also said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and under its control. It warned shipping companies not to trust US assurances about safe corridors and said vessels entering mined or prohibited areas without coordination with Iranian authorities risk destruction. Tehran says any change in the waterway’s status depends on an end to US hostility, lifting of the blockade, and a halt to regional aggression.
