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Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that he would declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory, saying the strategic waterway could not be seized through threats, military deployments or political declarations.
"The Strait of Hormuz can neither be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by executive order, nor by election speech," Gharibabadi said in a social media post.
"Iran is neither afraid of threats nor intimidated by displays of force," he added.
Addressing Trump directly, Gharibabadi said the U.S. should acknowledge what he described as strategic and heavy defeats against Iran.
"The Strait of Hormuz belonged to Iran, belongs to Iran and will belong to Iran," he said.
He added that the strait would be opened or closed only on Iran's orders and said Tehran would continue what he described as a blockade until the U.S. accepted what he called its defeat and abandoned its claims.
Trump said Friday that the U.S. Navy was enforcing a full blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and claimed that he would declare the waterway U.S. territory after Iran was "completely defeated."
A day earlier, Trump also said in a social media post that the U.S. had "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz and that Washington believed it could maintain that control.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said the strait will not reopen as long as the U.S. continues what Tehran describes as interference in Hormuz, a naval blockade and failure to fulfill requirements under the June 17 memorandum signed between Tehran and Washington.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country's top military body coordinating the war, also rejected Trump's claim Friday.
Zolfaghari said no vessel could pass through the Strait of Hormuz without Iran's permission and supervision.
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