Strait of Hormuz More Important for Iran than Nuclear Bomb

JAKARTA - An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader said on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz was more important than "dozens of atomic bombs," and promised to protect the vital waterway.

"This strategic route is more important than dozens of atomic bombs, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will protect it," Mohsen Rezaei was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency, as reported by Al Arabiya and AFP (13/7).

Western countries accuse Iran of trying to create an atomic bomb, but Tehran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful and civilian purposes.

Tehran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and launched missiles and drones at its neighbors in the Gulf, in response to a new attack by the United States after an attack by Iranian forces on a merchant ship abandoned in flames by its crew.

The tensions threaten a tentative deal aimed at ending the Middle East war, which erupted in late February with a massive US-Israeli attack that killed Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

One of the obstacles to reaching a final agreement is the future of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed to commercial shipping during the war.

This waterway is a key route for oil and gas exports from the Gulf, and its closure during the war has had a major impact on the global economy.

Iran insists on controlling the shipping lanes and plans to charge, an attitude rejected by Washington.

US Central Command (US CENTCOM) then announced on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz was open to all ships and US military forces "positioned and ready" to ensure freedom of navigation.