'Will exercise full sovereignty over Hormuz': Iran defiant as US continues strikes

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the "end of America's evils". It further warned that other oil and gas export routes serving the interests of the US and its allies could also be shut.Iran has also ruled out seeking fresh negotiations with the United States, insisting it will maintain control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz despite renewed American military action and a reimposed blockade on Iranian ports.Speaking on state-run television on Tuesday, deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran would not be the first to return to talks after accusing Washington of derailing the US-Iran memorandum of understanding through its military actions.Gharibabadi said he had told a European foreign ministry official that Iran had not abandoned diplomacy and that it was the US that had disrupted the negotiation process.“Any assumption that increased pressure or military action could force Iran to seek talks was a mistake, as Tehran would not change its position on the Strait of Hormuz or ease restrictions it has imposed there,” he said. “We will never request negotiations with the US.”He added: “We will exercise full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, no matter the costs.”His remarks came as the US reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports Tuesday, reversing a measure lifted in June after an interim agreement created a 60-day window for negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme and regional security. The talks have since stalled as hostilities around the Strait of Hormuz intensified.The renewed blockade was preceded by another wave of US strikes on Iranian targets. In response, missile alerts sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait as Iran launched fresh attacks on countries hosting American forces. US Central Command said Tehran had fired dozens of missiles and drones at neighbouring Gulf states.“U.S. forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives,” Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said.Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, accused Washington of escalating the conflict, saying: “The U.S. is the aggressor, not the victim.”US President Donald Trump said he had abandoned plans to impose a 20% transit fee on ships using the Strait of Hormuz after Gulf leaders proposed investing billions of dollars in the United States instead. However, he warned that further US strikes were imminent unless negotiations resumed.Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.