Statements have intensified following a message for National Persian Gulf Day attributed to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
In the message, he described the strait as a “strategic asset” and outlined a vision for the region’s future as “a future without America,” emphasizing the importance of “Iranian management of the strait.”
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signaled the shift most clearly, linking current policy to both strategic doctrine and historical precedent.
“Today as well, by exercising management over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will ensure that it and its neighbors enjoy the valuable prospect of a future free from the presence and interference of America,” he wrote on X.
In a separate English-language post, he mocked the feasibility of a US naval blockade, sharing a map of the United States and arguing that even drawing walls from coast to coast would still fall short of Iran’s total border length.
“If you build two walls, one from New York to the West Coast and another from Los Angeles to the East Coast, the total length will still be about 1,000 kilometers shorter than Iran’s borders,” he wrote. “Good luck blockading a country with those borders.”
The tougher messaging comes as Washington pursues a strategy of sustained economic pressure, including a naval blockade aimed at restricting Iran’s oil exports. The Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply passes—has become the central point of confrontation in the standoff.
Reports from US media suggest the Trump administration is seeking international backing for a maritime coalition to secure shipping routes, while also rejecting Iranian proposals to reopen the strait as part of interim negotiations.
Masoud Foroughi, deputy managing editor of the conservative newspaper Farhikhtegan, described Khamenei’s message as more than routine rhetoric, calling it a “strategic signal” and arguing that it rejects the idea—raised by some in Tehran—that the strait could be used as a bargaining chip.
Other officials struck an even harder line. Deputy parliament speaker Ali Nikzad said the strait “must not return to its previous state,” while describing it as Iran’s “atomic bomb”—a remark underscoring its perceived strategic leverage.
Friday prayer leaders reinforced the message. Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Supreme Leader’s representative in Khorasan-e Razavi, said negotiations with the United States amount to surrender and argued that control over the strait allows Iran to “deal with the world” without talks.
In Tehran, interim Friday prayer leader Mohammad-Javad Haj Ali-Akbari said the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are not only non-negotiable but will operate under a “new legal regime” shaped by Iran and regional partners.
Yet the rhetoric has not been entirely uniform, and diplomatic contacts have not entirely ceased.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Tehran submitted a new proposal to the United States via a Pakistani intermediary this week, underscoring the dual track of pressure and limited engagement.
President Masoud Pezeshkian also struck a more measured tone, warning against the continuation of a blockade while reaffirming Iran’s commitment to freedom of navigation and maritime safety—except for hostile countries.
“Any effort to impose a naval blockade or maritime restrictions in the Persian Gulf is contrary to international law and a threat to the interests of regional nations and global peace and stability,” he said, adding that responsibility for any insecurity would lie with the United States and Israel.
Even as some voices warn of the risks of prolonged confrontation, the dominant message from Tehran’s political, clerical and media circles is that control over the strait is a red line rather than a negotiating tool.
That stance suggests that, despite mounting economic and military pressure, Tehran is seeking to redefine the Strait of Hormuz not as leverage—but as a fixed pillar of its regional strategy.
