The Iranian leaders have commemorated the National Day of Persian Gulf stressing Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S. maritime blockade of Iran’s southern ports, a fragile ceasefire, and stalled negotiations.
In a message to mark the day on Thursday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran will enforce a new legal framework to manage the strategic waterway, ushering in “a new chapter” for the Persian Gulf and the Hormuz Strait.
“The Islamic Republic, in grateful action for the divine blessing of managing the Strait of Hormuz, will secure the Persian Gulf region and end the hostile misuse of this waterway,” read his message quoted by the state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
“The new legal framework and management system for the Strait of Hormuz will advance comfort and development for all the region’s nations, and its economic benefits will bring joy to the nation.”
Saying that “it has become evident to the world and the regional states that U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf is the chief cause of insecurity in the region.”
"America’s hollow bases can barely guarantee their own safety, let alone that of their dependents or pro-American allies in the area,” the message added.
Also President Masoud Pezeshkian said that any attempt on maritime restrictions or blockading of Iran is doomed to failure.
“No foreign power can impose its will on the Persian Gulf,” he said according to the president.ir website.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a symbol of national sovereignty and Iran's role in regional security. Iran is the guardian of the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Iranian president held phone calls with the Japanese Prime Miniter Sanae Takaichi and the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during which he stressed Iran’s commitment to diplomacy.
Pezeshkian also stated that the Israeli and U.S. military "aggression" of Iran has been the prime cause of insecurity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran is prepared to continue diplomatic efforts provided that all parties avoid escalatory measures and adopt a constructive approach, the President Office quoted him telling the Japanese premier.
President Pezeshkian reaffirmed the position that Iran remains committed to diplomatic engagement aimed at achieving a fair and stable resolution to ongoing issues.
The Iranian Chief Executive also stressed Tehran's policy of active engagement based on mutual respect, saying that repeated attacks during negotiations have resulted in Iran’s complete distrust of the U.S.
“Iran pursues a policy of active engagement with countries that act on the basis of mutual respect,” he added, “Iran has complete distrust of the U.S. due to its repeated violations of the ceasefire during the Islamabad talks.”
“The U.S. officials must stop provocative rhetoric and actions as a prerequisite to gain Iran’s trust,” Pezeshkian told his Belarusian counterpart.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a post on X responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Strait of Trump” label in a post on his Truth social platform, advising him to use the correct term “Strait of Hormuz”
“Today is Persian Gulf Day in Iran, marking our ancestors' expulsion of Portuguese from Strait of Hormuz 400 years ago.
POTUS uses the correct term "Persian Gulf", not the Pentagon's fake version. But calling Hormuz anything else is indeed a "terrible mistake".
Official news sources reported that he held a phone call with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on Thursday on bilateral ties and the latest regional and international developments.
No further details were provided as the Switzerland Embassy in Tehran hosts the U.S. Interest Section in Iran.
In another development, Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf in a post on X addressed to U.S. officials said that no country can besiege Iran due to extent of its borders
“If you build two walls, one from NYC to the West Coast and another from LA to the East Coast, the total length will be 7,755 km, which is still about 1,000 km short of Iran's total borders. Good luck blockading a country with those borders.”
He added, “P.S. For Pete Hegseth: 1 km = 0.62 mi”
Likewise, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Aerospace Brigadier General Majid Mousavi in a post on X warned that Iran will target the U.S. warship like it attacked the United States bases in the region.
"We will respond to the enemy's operations, even if they are short and sporadic, with long-range, painful strikes, by the grace of God.
We witnessed the fate of your bases in the region; we will also see the fate of your ships.”
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that Tehran accepted the ceasefire as a prelude to end the war, saying that it will not enter into nuclear negotiations at this stage, according to an interview on the state-owned IRIB TV.
“Tehran's decision is to focus in the negotiations on ending the war,” IRNA quoted him saying.
Saying that the U.S. side in not serious about lifting the sanctions, he added, "You cannot claim that you are lifting sanctions and at the same time intensifying them. Worse still, you are committing piracy and banditry against Iranian ships."
He also said that there is a “deep mistrust” between Iran and the United States.
“It is not only due to recent events but also due to a long history of distrust between the two countries. It began before the Islamic Revolution (in 1979).”
According to the Iranian spokesman, the United States always expects the other side to accept its maximum demands in negotiations.
“This causes the negotiations to fail,” Baghaei said.
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