Pezeshkian says Hormuz Strait cannot be used to move weapons against Iran
Iran's president links Strait of Hormuz access to Tehran's security demands as US envoy Witkoff wraps talks with Iranian mediators
Published
Map: The Gulf and Hormuz, marking Strait of Hormuz
Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said the Strait of Hormuz cannot be used to pass weapons meant for use against Iran.
The statement follows Iran's security council tying any reopening of the strait to a four to five day deadline for Washington, a condition first set out by council secretary Ali Rezaei. Rezaei has separately ruled out negotiations even as foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff have been discussing terms for reopening the waterway. Araghchi has also warned European officials against backing US and Israeli actions, while pursuing the talks with Washington on a separate track.
The strait has seen recent incidents. All crew members of a ship attacked there were evacuated, with two people injured, and the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported a further incident without giving details on the vessel involved.
At the UN General Assembly this week, Pezeshkian said Iran was a victim of terrorism and would not bow its head, a speech during which a US official walked out of the hall. He also said Iran does not want a nuclear bomb, a position that matches Iran's established stance. By framing Hormuz access as conditional on Iran's security demands, Pezeshkian's latest statement hardens the blockade rhetoric beyond earlier diplomatic language, narrowing room for negotiation just as Witkoff completes talks with Iranian mediators, and raising the risk of further incidents in the strait.