New ultimatum from Tehran: Iran demands full control over the Strait of Hormuz as a condition for ending the war

New ultimatum from Tehran: Iran demands full control over the Strait of Hormuz as a condition for ending the war

A new item has appeared in Iran’s list of demands for ending the war. Tehran demands recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

This is reported by  CNN.

As the publication notes, this critical waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies pass, has become the most powerful weapon of the Islamic Republic.

Now Tehran seeks to turn it into a source of potential billions of dollars in annual revenue and a tool to pressure the global economy.

Iran has long threatened to close the strait in case of an attack, but few expected it to actually happen — or that it would prove so effective in disrupting global trade flows.

The massive consequences seem to have expanded Tehran’s ambitions, and the new demands indicate that it wants to make this lever permanent.

According to analysts, Iran is partially impressed by the success of its strategy regarding the Strait of Hormuz — how cheaply and easily it manages to hold the global economy hostage.

"One of the lessons of this war is that Iran has discovered this new lever of influence and will most likely use it in the future", — CNN quotes an expert.

In Washington, this risk is acutely realized. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that one of the key challenges after the war will be Tehran’s attempts to introduce a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz.

He stated that such a demand is illegal and dangerous for the world.

As CNN writes, in previous rounds of talks with Washington, Tehran insisted on easing sanctions and recognizing the right to develop nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes, but not on control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran is signaling its intention to formalize this lever. In particular, the Iranian parliament’s commission has approved a preliminary bill on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Among its provisions — a clause on monetary fees for passage through the strait. The bill also provides for a ban on passage through this sea route for vessels associated with the US or Israel.