Iran’s Army spokesman warns the United States that no measure of American aggression will force the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, following Tehran's decision to close the strategic waterway over US violations.
"The aggressive and corrupt president of the United States must learn to respect international law, the rights of nations, and the dignity of peoples. As we have previously stated, the Strait of Hormuz will never be reopened through war, hostility, or acts of aggression by the United States,” Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami-Nia said on Monday, addressing a public gathering.
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding last month to end the cycle of hostilities arising from the latest bout of unprovoked American-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic, which began on February 28.
Under the interim deal, Iran agreed to allow toll-free maritime transit through the strait for a period of 60 days.
In compliance with the MoU, the Islamic Republic devised a special maritime route for vessels to cross the chokepoint, warning vessels against using illegal routes.
The US has, however, been trying to escort transit through the strait along an illegal passageway, prompting the Islamic Republic to shut the corridor until Washington ended its interference in regional maritime movement.
Akrami-Nia likewise noted that, although the Americans had accepted Iran's arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz as part of the memorandum, they later sought to establish a new route “through deception.”
He noted, though, “Iran’s armed forces stood firmly against the Americans' breach of their commitments and declared that any action in the Strait of Hormuz outside the arrangements stipulated in the memorandum of understanding would be met with a decisive response from the Islamic Republic."
“The only way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is for the United States to respect the rights of the Iranian nation and comply with the provisions of the war-ending memorandum of understanding,” he reiterated.
“The Iranian people should also rest assured that the armed forces, especially the Army, will stand firm to their last breath and will not yield one iota of the Iranian nation's rights in the Strait of Hormuz."
Meanwhile, the spokesman praised the large-scale public presence in the streets throughout the period of foreign aggression against the country, saying it demonstrated support for the Armed Forces' defensive and retaliatory measures against the aggressors.
"The enemy had sought to bring down the country’s Islamic establishment. It had assumed that Islamic Iran was no different from other countries. However, the presence of the brave, vigilant, and devoted people not only displayed the unity of the Iranian nation, but also demonstrated the popular and divine legitimacy and acceptance of the Islamic Republic" in the public sphere, he stated.
"For more than four months, you, the brave people of Iran, have courageously remained present in the public squares, supported the Armed Forces, and thwarted every one of the enemy's plots," he added.
Akrami-Nia cited the millions-strong turnout at the farewell and funeral ceremonies for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as a case in point, calling it "an unparalleled event etched into the pages of history."
Press TV’s website