Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Ismail Kowsari reportedly stated in July that Iran may close the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic from the Persian Gulf if the United States renews sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has designed and put into practice initiatives that would neutralize the illegal US sanctions against Iran’s export of oil”, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said, as quoted by the Tasnim News Agency.
He stressed that the United States could not undermine Iran’s determination, even if the pressure inflicts costs on Tehran, Tasnim News Agency reported.
“Although the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military capabilities and extensive capacities have been proved to professional observers and there is no need to mention and repeat it, a cut in the export of oil would not be necessarily tantamount to a blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. There are multiple methods to make that happen, and we hope we would not have to use them”, the top official noted, as quoted by the agency.