Iran Threatens Total Energy Export Halt Amid US Blockade
Iranian officials call for a total halt of energy exports and maintain the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to pressure the United States.
Deputy Parliament Speaker Hamidreza Haji-Babaei urged Iran to halt all energy exports to all countries to counter a blockade imposed by the United States on Iranian ports. Speaking during a parliamentary session on September 27, Haji-Babaei argued that Tehran must leverage its energy resources to negotiate from a position of strength and warned that Washington is attempting to reduce the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz through bypass pipelines and regional oil transfers.
This escalation follows a cycle of conflict that began on February 28. The Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces closed the Strait of Hormuz to U.S. and allied vessels after Washington allegedly violated a ceasefire and the June Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding through aerial assaults and a naval blockade. Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, characterized the strait as a weapon more dangerous than a nuclear weapon and stated that reopening the waterway depends on U.S. compliance with the Islamabad MoU.
Safavi further asserted that the United States is on its way out of West Asia, claiming that Iran will lead the future security order in the region. He noted that Yemeni control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait would further signal a strategic U.S. defeat, while Haji-Babaei maintained that regional stability requires the total elimination of the U.S. presence.
