13/06/2026
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13/06/2026
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TEHRAN, Jun 13: A leading hardline Iranian newspaper has argued that the Strait of Hormuz should remain closed until all US forces are expelled from the region, underscoring opposition within Tehran’s conservative camp to any agreement that could lead to the reopening of the vital waterway.
In a front-page article titled “We Closed the Strait With Power; We Will Not Open It With Diplomacy,” the newspaper Kayhan warned against reopening Hormuz through negotiations with Washington as Iran and the United States discuss a possible deal.
The publication said its message to Iran’s diplomatic officials was clear: the strategic waterway should not be reopened until the United States withdraws its military presence from the region and accepts what it described as the Supreme Leader’s red lines.
“The Strait of Hormuz is the strategic lock of our power,” the newspaper wrote, adding that the waterway, which it said was closed through the actions of Iran’s forces, should not be reopened through what it called “the false diplomacy of an American agreement.”
The article argued that Iran should resist US pressure and avoid what it described as Washington’s “cycles of deception,” claiming that the United States is facing weakness, passivity, and economic decline.
Kayhan further stated that Iran would preserve its leverage until the “complete expulsion” of US forces from the region and full acceptance of the country’s conditions. The newspaper also warned that reopening the strait could allow Washington and its allies to resume military operations and targeted attacks, portraying the waterway as a strategic bargaining tool that should not be surrendered in any preliminary agreement.
The comments highlight divisions within Iran over the future of negotiations with the United States and the role of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy transit route, in ongoing diplomatic discussions.
