Iran to Block Middle East Oil Exports to US-Israel

JAKARTA - Iran has stated that it will not allow the United States, Israel, and their allies to export "a drop of oil" from the Middle East region as long as the conflict is ongoing.

"In the midst of the ongoing aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against the Iranian people and our civilian infrastructure, the Iranian armed forces will not allow a single drop of oil to be exported from this region to the hostile parties and their partners until further notice," said spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ali Mohammad Naini.

He emphasized that any attempt by the opposing parties to suppress and control the price of oil and gas would only be temporary and would not succeed. According to Naini, Tehran currently holds control over the development of the ongoing conflict.

In addition, Naini said Iran would determine when the conflict would end. Naini also dismissed the statements of a number of US government officials who said Iran's ability to launch missiles had weakened.

On the contrary, he said, Iran will actually increase the strength of its missile attacks. Starting now, Iran is said to launch stronger missiles with a warhead weighing at least one ton.

The firmness came after the United States and Israel launched an attack on a number of targets in Iran on February 28, including in the capital Tehran.

The attack reportedly caused damage to a number of facilities and caused civilian casualties.

Iran then retaliated by launching attacks on Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East region.

Washington and Tel Aviv initially said the strikes, which they described as a "preemptive" move, were necessary to counter a threat they said stemmed from Iran's nuclear program.

However, in the subsequent development, both countries also expressed a desire to see a change of power in Iran.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly martyred on the first day of the military operation.

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran then set a period of national mourning for 40 days.

The development of the conflict also triggered reactions from a number of other countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Khamenei's murder a cynical violation of international law.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the US and Israeli military operations and urged an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities.