Iran's Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Claims Control of Hormuz Strait, Threatens Bab al-Mandab Closure

A senior Iranian parliamentary official has made sweeping claims about Tehran's control over critical maritime chokepoints in the Middle East.

The deputy speaker of Iran's parliament declared that the nation has successfully sealed off the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically vital waterways through which vast quantities of global oil supplies transit daily.

The official further warned that should circumstances demand it, Iran would proceed to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another crucial shipping corridor linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The statements represent a significant escalation in rhetoric surrounding regional maritime security and Iran's strategic positioning in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.