Iranian MP Sidelined From Negotiations Says 'Strait of Hormuz Will Stay Closed Until US Leaves Region'

TEHRAN, Aug 6: Iran will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the United States withdraws from the region, the naval blockade is lifted, and threats against Tehran come to an end, Iranian lawmaker Behnam Saeedi said on Thursday.

Saeedi, secretary of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said discussions between Tehran and Oman were limited to shipping routes through the strategic waterway and insisted that Iran alone would decide whether to reopen or close the strait.

"The Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the naval blockade is lifted, the United States leaves the region and the threats end," Saeedi said.

Describing the waterway as one of Iran's most important strategic assets, Saeedi said its deterrent value was "greater than that of an atomic bomb." His remarks come amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing concerns over the security of commercial shipping through the vital global energy corridor.

Behnam Saeedi is an Iranian lawmaker who serves as the secretary of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. In past, Saeedi has repeatedly warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the naval blockade is lifted, U.S. forces leave the region, and threats against Iran end. He maintains that Iran holds the sole decision-making authority over the shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz and has claimed that the waterway is under the "exclusive supervision" of Tehran. Saeedi also signaled that Iran could leverage its relationship with Houthi allies to disrupt maritime traffic in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, framing it as one of Iran's strategic "winning cards"