JAKARTA - Iran has insisted it still maintains "full control" over the land, sea and air areas of the Strait of Hormuz amid concerns over a possible US attack on Tehran.
"Iran does not want to fight, but it is fully prepared," said Mohammad Akbarzadeh, a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported the Fars News Agency, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, January 28.
"If a war breaks out, there will be no retreat, not even one millimeter, and Iran will continue to advance," he said.
Akbarzadeh said the management of the strategic route "has gone beyond traditional methods and is now fully based on an intelligent system," allowing Iran to continue to monitor all maritime movements on the surface, and undersea.
"It is also Iran that decides whether ships flying different flags are allowed to pass through the strait," he said.
"Iran does not want the global economy to suffer," he warned, adding that the US and its allies "will not be allowed to take advantage of the war they started."
Akbarzadeh warned that if the land, air, or water territories of neighboring countries were used to fight Iran, they would be treated as "enemies".
"This message has been conveyed to regional parties," he said.
The Iranian commander stressed that Tehran has additional capabilities "which will be revealed at the right time."
The narrow Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is an important route for global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade, especially for oil from the Middle East, which accounts for a third of the world's seaborne crude oil shipments and a fifth of total world oil consumption.
Through the Strait of Hormuz, most of the 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products transported daily reach Asian markets, especially China.
Tensions have escalated between Tehran and Washington following anti-government protests in Iran, with the US administration saying all options, including military action, remain open in dealing with Tehran.
Iranian officials have warned any US attack would trigger a "swift and comprehensive" response.
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