Iran warns against US intervention in Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN: Iran’s military warned that it would not allow the United States to intervene in the Strait of Hormuz, responding to recent remarks by President Donald Trump about expanding the US role in securing the strategic waterway.

In a statement issued from Tehran, Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said U.S. involvement in the Strait of Hormuz had undermined the security of energy transportation through the region.

Zolfaqari said Iran would neither accept nor allow U.S. interference in the administration of the Strait of Hormuz, adding that cooperation by some regional countries with Washington had increased the risk of a broader conflict.

He warned that any country assisting the United States in actions affecting the Strait of Hormuz would be regarded by Iran as participating in a war against the country’s territorial integrity. He also cautioned that any escalation could draw other countries in the region into the conflict.

The comments came after Trump announced plans for the United States to play a greater security role in the Strait of Hormuz and proposed charging transit fees on commercial cargo passing through the vital maritime chokepoint.