# Iran vows to keep the Strait of Hormuz under its own command, not America's > On July 2, 2026, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, posted a blunt statement on X: the - Author: Maxime Marquette - Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co) - Section: Reportage - Published: 2026-07-05 - Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/l-iran-jure-garder-ormuz-sous-son-autorite-pas-celle-des-etats-unis ## Introduction: one strait, two rival claims of sovereignty ### A line that landed hard on X On **July 2, 2026**, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, **Kazem Gharibabadi**, posted a blunt statement on X: the **Strait of Hormuz** is **"defined under Iran's command, not CENTCOM's,"** according to **Tasnim News**. The line was aimed squarely at a regional **security** summit held the previous day in **Bahrain** by the American command, gathering military officials from the **Gulf** and beyond. That **CENTCOM** summit was officially meant to reaffirm the principle of **"free flow of commerce"** through the **strait**, a **maritime** corridor that carried nearly **one-fifth** of the world's **oil** and liquefied natural gas trade before the **2026** war, according to **Reuters**. For **Tehran**, that kind of gathering has no legitimacy to set the legal order of the **Gulf**. *Here is the absurd paradox at the heart of this story: a regime accused of attacking civilian tankers casts itself as the self-appointed guardian of maritime **legality**, all while disputing the one multilateral effort actually meant to guarantee that freedom of movement.* ### Iran's refusal of a framework dictated by Washington **Gharibabadi** was categorical: the Bahrain meeting **"cannot establish the legal order and security of the Persian Gulf."** He added that regional security must come through **"the end of interventions,"** an American withdrawal from the region, respect for the **sovereignty** of regional states, and acceptance of **"new geopolitical realities"** — not under a **"military umbrella"** held by the United States, according to **Al Jazeera**. This rhetoric of absolute sovereignty, repeated almost word for word for months by Iranian officials, is aimed as much at an international audience as at a domestic one that the regime must constantly convince of its resistance against **Washington**. *There is something both predictable and chilling in this rhetoric. A regime that spent months attacking civilian tankers now dares to present itself as the legitimate guardian of maritime order in the Gulf. The West must never mistake Tehran's diplomatic swagger for any real legitimacy.* ## The backdrop of a war that is barely over ### Four months of total lockdown The **Strait of Hormuz** was largely shut down by **Iran** starting **February 28, 2026**, the date the American-Israeli air war against the country began, according to data compiled by **Wikipedia** and corroborated by several agencies. The **Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)** banned all passage, seized merchant vessels, and laid mines throughout the strait. The United States retaliated by imposing its own blockade of Iranian ports from **April 13** to **May 29, 2026**, before President **Donald Trump** launched **Operation Project Freedom** on **May 4**, a naval mission designed to escort merchant vessels out of the Gulf. That American military firmness, costly as it was diplomatically, kept steady **pressure** on a regime that only understands the language of **force**. ### A fragile agreement gets signed On **June 17, 2026**, **Donald Trump** and Iranian President **Masoud Pezeshkian** signed a **14-point** memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the strait, according to **The National**. The text called for an immediate reopening of the passage to commercial vessels, the lifting of the American naval blockade, and a **60-day** window of **negotiations** toward a permanent settlement, potentially including the nuclear file. *Let's give credit where it's due: firmness forced Tehran back to the **negotiating** table. But let's keep our eyes open — a memorandum signed under military duress doesn't erase decades of Iranian duplicity. Vigilance must remain the rule, not the exception.* ## The tug-of-war over managing the strait ### An ambiguity kept alive on purpose The published text of the memorandum states that **Iran** will define the future administration of the strait in dialogue with **Oman** and other Gulf states, but **"in line"** with international law, according to **Euronews**. That vague wording immediately opened the door to radically different interpretations between Tehran and **Washington**. The **Strait of Hormuz**, made up of Omani and Iranian territorial waters, cannot legally be blocked or unilaterally taxed by either bordering nation under customary international law. Yet **Iran** continues to exercise de facto control that repeatedly triggers flare-ups of tension. ### The precedent of the attack on the Kiku The latest of these flare-ups came on **June 28, 2026**, when an Iranian drone struck the **M/T Kiku**, a Panamanian-flagged tanker headed to **Fujairah** in the United Arab Emirates. **CENTCOM** retaliated by striking **ten Iranian military targets**, citing **"continued aggression against commercial shipping,"** according to **Euronews**. *Striking a civilian tanker in the name of maritime sovereignty is exactly the kind of behavior that should end any complacency toward Tehran. You don't negotiate freedom of **navigation** with a regime that fires drones at merchant ships.* ## Tolls and the question of frozen money ### A taxation plan that worries shipowners According to **Reuters**, **Iran** has repeated that it plans to start assessing **tolls** on shipping by **mid-August 2026**, once the fee-free window set out in the initial **agreement** expires. That prospect worries international shipping companies, who fear a dangerous precedent: a coastal state granting itself the right to tax an international **shipping** lane. Two senior Iranian sources cited by **Reuters** said Tehran is **"determined to secure international recognition"** of its control over the strait and its ability to collect fees, **"even if it has to do so by force."** The line, chilling in its bluntness, sums up the entire Iranian posture of recent months. ### Six billion dollars in frozen assets, in the background The talks in **Doha**, held on **June 30 and July 1, 2026**, covered both the management of the strait and the unfreezing of **six billion dollars** in Iranian assets, two priorities explicitly laid out by an Iranian official cited by **Al-Monitor**. *Let's call it what it is: Tehran is negotiating the freedom of global navigation as a bargaining chip for its own frozen cash. This is economic blackmail dressed up as technical **diplomacy**, and the West must not fall for it.* ## The Bahrain summit: provocation or legitimate firmness ### What Washington was trying to prove The summit organized by **CENTCOM** in **Bahrain** on **July 1, 2026**, brought together military commanders from several Gulf states and beyond, with the explicit goal of reaffirming a collective commitment to the **"free flow of commerce"** through the strait, according to **Al Jazeera**. This kind of multilateral gathering is designed precisely to counter Iran's narrative of exclusive, unilateral control. Iran's furious reaction, however loud, confirms in itself that this show of Western and regional coordination struck a nerve in Tehran. A regime confident in its position would not need to denounce a simple diplomatic meeting so noisily. ### The Gulf's narrow room to maneuver Several Gulf states, opposed for months to the idea of Iranian control over the strait, saw this summit as a chance to move closer to Washington, according to observers cited by the **Institute for the Study of War**. *This growing regional pushback against Iranian claims is good **strategic** news. The more Gulf neighbors coordinate with the United States, the more isolated Tehran becomes in its attempt to rewrite international maritime rules to its own advantage.* ## Tehran's direct military threats ### A barely veiled warning On **July 3, 2026**, Iran's senior military command **Khatam al-Anbiya** warned that any failure to follow the route designated by Iran in the strait would be **"met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces,"** putting the safety of offending vessels at risk, according to **Al Jazeera**. The statement came just a day after Qatari mediators had hailed **"positive progress"** in indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran. This contrast between the diplomatic optimism voiced by mediators and the martial rhetoric of Iran's military command illustrates an unavoidable reality: in Tehran, the military and diplomatic apparatuses don't always speak with one voice — or else they are playing a calculated good-cop, bad-cop game. ### The American response on the ground The **Joint Maritime Information Center**, overseen by the U.S. Navy, announced on **June 27, 2026** the formal expansion of a shipping route near the Omani coast, a move that directly challenges Iran's claim of exclusive authority over navigation, according to **Wikipedia**. Dozens of ships have since used this alternative route on the Omani side, rather than the corridor hugging the Iranian coast that Tehran favors. *This move by the U.S. Navy deserves unreserved praise. Opening an alternative route far from the Iranian coast rejects, in practice, the fiction of unilateral Iranian control, while reducing the risk of incidents deliberately provoked by the **IRGC**.* ## A stranded ship, a symbol of maritime chaos ### An incident that captures the surrounding disorder Iranian state media reported that a foreign container ship ran aground in shallow water after straying from the shipping lane designated by Iranian authorities, according to **Al-Monitor**. This incident, minor on its face, shows just how **"irregular, unpredictable and not entirely transparent"** maritime traffic in the strait remains, according to oil analyst **Vandana Hari**. This confused situation punishes international shipping companies above all, caught between two competing navigation systems, two authorities each contesting the other's legitimacy, and a risk of military incident that hangs permanently over every crossing. ### Economic consequences for global trade Although crossings have partially resumed since the **June 17** agreement, the long-term status of this **strategic** waterway remains uncertain, and the two countries had exchanged strikes just the week before, following an Iranian attack on a cargo ship, according to **Reuters**. *The whole world pays the price of this uncertainty at the pump and across supply chains. Every day Tehran keeps up this strategic fog is a day the global economy stays hostage to a regime that refuses to play by established international rules.* ## Oman's quiet but crucial role ### Careful mediation between two camps On **June 29, 2026**, Iran held its first meeting of the **Joint Hormuz Committee** with **Oman** in **Muscat**, according to **Euronews**. **Gharibabadi** explained on X that the two sides had **"exchanged views on the future management"** of the strait at that meeting, the first of its kind since the framework agreement with the United States was signed. Oman's role, as a direct neighbor of the strait and a long-standing diplomatic partner of Tehran, has proven valuable in trying to defuse a head-on confrontation between Iran and the United States over this highly sensitive issue. ### A diplomacy of calculated confusion Ironically, just days before that meeting, **Gharibabadi** himself had denied reports that technical talks would be held in **Doha**, before **Trump** stated on Truth Social that the meeting would indeed take place, openly contradicting Tehran's own statements, according to **Euronews**. *This dance of denials and public contradictions between Tehran and Washington is not a simple diplomatic misunderstanding. It is a classic Iranian tactic to sow confusion, buy time, and test American resolve at every step of the process.* ## What the silence on the nuclear file really reveals ### A maritime priority eclipsing the nuclear question It is striking that the most recent negotiations, held in **Doha** on **June 30 and July 1**, focused almost exclusively on managing the strait and unfreezing assets, rather than on Iran's nuclear file, which was supposed to be part of the **60-day** negotiation window set out in the June agreement, according to **Reuters**. This shift in **priorities** is not trivial. It suggests that even the architects of the agreement recognize, in practice, that the maritime question has become the most immediate and explosive point of friction between the two countries, temporarily pushing aside a **nuclear file** that remains existential for regional security. ### A maneuver that serves Tehran's interests By diverting **attention** toward managing the strait, Iran buys time on the nuclear file, which nonetheless remains Washington's number-one concern, along with that of its Western and Israeli allies. *We must never lose sight of what matters most: while everyone debates shipping lanes and tolls, Iran's nuclear program remains the real ticking time bomb. Tehran has every interest in dragging out this maritime psychodrama to buy precious time elsewhere.* ## The Israeli position, a constant backdrop ### A fragile ceasefire across several fronts The **June 17** agreement called for a halt to hostilities on several fronts, including **Lebanon**, where fighting between **Israel** and **Hezbollah** continued intermittently despite earlier ceasefire efforts, according to **The National**. This interconnection of regional fronts is a reminder that the **Strait of Hormuz** file can never be isolated from the rest of the Middle Eastern chessboard. Israel remains a **key player**, directly affected by any shift in the balance of power between Washington and Tehran, and its relative silence on the maritime file should not be read as disinterest. ### The $300 billion reconstruction fund, a detail that matters The **14-point** memorandum signed in June also called for creating a **$300 billion** reconstruction fund for Iran, a colossal sum that illustrates the scale of the economic stakes tied to a full resolution of the conflict, according to **The National**. *A $300 billion reconstruction fund for a regime that keeps **threatening** civilian tankers just weeks after signing it — that is a contrast that should give every Western decision-maker pause before easing the **pressure**.* ## Experts divided on the outcome of the standoff ### Between realistic pessimism and cautious hope Analysts at the **Institute for the Study of War** note that Iran has systematically used force to compel ships into its own traffic-separation scheme, a strategy aimed at securing, in practice, implicit recognition of its control through repeated intimidation rather than a clear legal agreement. Other, more **optimistic observers** note that the very fact that regular technical meetings are taking place between Tehran, Washington and **Oman** represents progress compared with the total closure of the strait that prevailed between February and June 2026. ### The Trump factor, between firmness and uncertainty The Trump administration's handling of this file illustrates a two-speed approach: assumed military firmness when needed, as seen in **CENTCOM**'s retaliatory strikes, but also a genuine desire to reach a lasting agreement that would end a costly and unpopular war. *One can criticize Trump on plenty of domestic issues, but on this particular stage, his doctrine of maximum military pressure combined with calculated diplomatic openness at least had the merit of forcing Tehran back to the negotiating table. That is a result no previous administration achieved this quickly.* ## The global energy dimension of the file ### An oil shock that remains possible Global oil markets track every statement from **Gharibabadi** with almost nervous attention, given how unmatched the **Strait of Hormuz** remains as a chokepoint for energy supplies to Asia, Europe and North America. A prolonged closure, even a partial one, would immediately drive up the price of a **barrel** and reignite inflation in several already fragile **Western** economies. Marine insurance companies have already raised their risk premiums for ships transiting the zone, a clear economic signal that the market itself does not yet believe in a lasting normalization of the situation, despite the agreement signed on **June 17**. ### The strategic role of Qatari liquefied natural gas **Qatar**, whose liquefied natural gas exports flow largely through the strait, plays a particularly active mediating role in this file, having hosted several rounds of talks in **Doha**. Its direct economic interest in the stability of the passage largely explains its sustained diplomatic engagement. This **Qatari dependence** illustrates just how much the entire Gulf economy, including states not directly party to the conflict, has a vital stake in seeing this crisis resolved quickly and durably. ***Qatar** has played the role of valuable diplomatic firefighter for months, but it should never be forgotten that this country also has its own massive economic interests to defend in this crisis. Its mediation is anything but selfless, and that is just fine as long as the outcome serves regional stability.* ## The Chinese factor lurking behind the strait ### Beijing, the silent buyer of Iranian crude **China** remains the top buyer of Iranian **oil** despite American sanctions, a reality that complicates any Western attempt to fully isolate Tehran economically. This ongoing trade relationship keeps filling the regime's coffers, even at the height of the strait crisis. Beijing watches every episode of confrontation between Washington and Tehran with obvious interest, aware that a weakened, isolated Iran would turn even more toward **China** for its economic survival, reinforcing the authoritarian axis that already worries Western capitals amid the growing alliance among Beijing, Moscow, Tehran and Pyongyang. ### A card Tehran plays cautiously Iran carefully avoids any **public statement** that would too openly tie its strategy on the strait to its relationship with **China**, preferring to present its position as a matter of national sovereignty rather than as a pawn in a broader Sino-American rivalry. *Let's not be fooled by this calculated silence. Every barrel of Iranian oil sold to China despite sanctions strengthens an authoritarian axis that reaches well beyond the **Strait of Hormuz** file, and the West must treat that reality as a top-tier strategic priority.* ## Western allies are listening closely ### Europe watches with concern European capitals, partly dependent on liquefied natural gas transiting through the Gulf since the war in **Ukraine** cut off Russian supplies, are following this file with particular concern. Any prolonged disruption of the **Strait of Hormuz** would have direct repercussions for the continent's energy security, at a moment when Europe is precisely trying to reduce its dependence on Moscow. This convergence of interests between Washington and European capitals reinforces the need for a coordinated Western response to Iranian maneuvers, rather than a strictly bilateral arrangement between Iran and the United States. ### The United Kingdom and allied naval presence The British **Royal Navy** has maintained a regular presence in the Gulf region for years, and that presence takes on renewed importance in the current context of Iranian challenges to freedom of navigation. *This is exactly the kind of moment when Western solidarity must translate into action, not just speeches. A coordinated allied naval presence among Americans, Britons and other Gulf partners is the only language Tehran truly seems to understand.* ## Conclusion: a strait that remains the epicenter of tension ### A contested sovereignty that words alone won't settle Kazem Gharibabadi's statement is not a simple burst of nationalist pride. It reflects a coherent, patient Iranian strategy: to impose, through repeated incidents and firm statements, a de facto recognition of its authority over a waterway that international law does not, in fact, grant it exclusively. As long as the United States and its regional allies do not cede ground, this battle over legitimacy will remain open, caught between threatened tolls, competing shipping routes and occasional military strikes. ### What the West must keep demanding The only coherent response to this war of attrition is to maintain a robust naval presence, coordinate Gulf allies around a united front, and refuse to normalize any territorial control obtained through armed threats against civilian vessels. The Strait of Hormuz belongs to international law, not to the military doctrine of a regime that keeps firing on oil tankers. **By Maxime Marquette, columnist** ## Columnist's transparency note ### Editorial stance I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies. I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events. ### Method and sources This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here. **Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies. **Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations. When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**. ### Nature of the analysis The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted. My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors. This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text. ## Sources ### Primary sources - Reuters — Iran insists on keeping control over Hormuz, senior Iranian sources say, July 1, 2026 - Al Jazeera — Iran warns ships against using unapproved routes in Strait of Hormuz, July 3, 2026 ### Secondary sources - Reuters — US, Iran talks conclude in Doha, focused on Strait of Hormuz, July 1, 2026 - Tasnim News Agency — Hormuz Strait Is Defined under Iran's Command, Senior Diplomat Emphasizes, July 2, 2026 - Euronews — Iran and Oman hold first Hormuz talks as US-Iran deal stays on edge, June 29, 2026 - Wikipedia — 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis, timeline updated to July 3, 2026 - The National — US and Iran sign deal to end war, reopen Strait of Hormuz, June 18, 2026 --- Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. 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