'Iran will not leave Hormuz until...'

Military adviser of Iran's Supreme Leader, Mohsen Rezaei, issued a strong warning to the US following its naval blockade on Iranian ports, stating that the Islamic Republic will not withdraw from the Strait of Hormuz until its "rights are fully secured", Iranian State Media, Press TV reported.

According to Press TV, the advisor, who was also a former commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated that Iran considers the strategic waterway a critical point of leverage and will continue to assert control over it in response to what Tehran calls unlawful restrictions on its economic and maritime activity.

"Iran will not leave the Strait of Hormuz until its rights are fully secured. Based on past negotiations, agreements must be drafted more carefully, with a stronger focus on economic issues. Unlike the US, which fears prolonged war, Iran is fully prepared and experienced in long-term war. Why do US vessels and forces avoid crossing the Strait of Hormuz if Iran's navy has supposedly been destroyed? Unlike previous talks where the other side set the terms, Iran is now setting the preconditions," Rezaei said, as quoted by Press TV. -- ANI