“The insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz is the result of US actions, and if the international community is concerned about rising fuel prices, it should reprimand the United States,” Esmaeil Baghaei said during a televised interview on Friday.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following the launch of the latest bout of unprovoked American-Israeli aggression against the country on February 28.
The Islamic Republic and the United States agreed on a 60-day reopening period as part of a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding in June.
Iran took measures to ensure safe and legal transit through the chokepoint in keeping with the understanding, but American violations forced the country to reestablish the closure.
Tehran has conditioned reopening of the waterway on realization of a number of prerequisites, including the complete lifting of the illegal US naval and economic blockade against the Islamic Republic, durable cessation of aggression on all fronts, including Lebanon, and clarification of the situation concerning the blockade of Yemen.
Baghaei reminded that the strait was completely open before February 28, but Iran subsequently took measures to safeguard its national security.
“Under these circumstances, we are entitled to take measures to protect the country’s security,” he stated.
The waterway became “somewhat safer” following the Islamabad MoU, the spokesman noted, adding that Iran honored its commitments after the understanding, while the United States violated its own commitment 23 days later.
“Their (the Americans’) pretexts [for committing the violations] had no basis,” Baghaei said.
MNA