Iranian Foreign Ministry official: The American campaign for the Strait of Hormuz was a passive response

ACCORDING TO IINA, DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH HUSSEIN NUSHABADI, HEAD OF THE PARLIAMENTARY AND LEGAL AFFAIRS GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF IRAN, IT WAS STATED THAT THE CONTROVERSIAL CLAIMS OF WASHINGTON CONCERNING CONTROL OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ WERE BASED PRIMARILY ON DOMESTIC POLITICAL NEEDS AND WERE A PASSIVE RESPONSE TO IRAN ' S DEMONSTRATED STRENGTH AND STRATEGIC COURSE OF ACTION IN THE WATERWAY. HE STATED THAT THE UNFOUNDED CLAIMS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONCERNING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ WERE NOT CONSISTENT WITH INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING RULES AND THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA. NUSHABADI ALSO NOTED THAT IRAN'S POLITICAL AND MILITARY LEADERSHIP OF THIS GLOBAL ENERGY AND ECONOMIC LIFELINE, THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, HAD MADE IT A POWERFUL LEVER AND A STRATEGIC ACE AGAINST EXTERNAL THREATS. KIM XIAN