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Iran's military said Monday it would not allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz "under any circumstances," in an apparent response to U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks that Washington would be "taking over" the strategic waterway.
"Following previous warnings, we will not allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz," a spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said, according to Iranian Tasnim News Agency.
The spokesperson said Iran's armed forces would "deal decisively with any disruption or insecurity" to the passage of commercial ships and oil tankers by the U.S. military "outside of Iran's designated routes and without the permission of the armed forces," citing recent actions by Iran's Revolutionary Guard and armed forces as evidence of that resolve.
The spokesperson said responsibility for "all insecurity and the expansion of war in the region" rested with the United States and countries that cooperate with what he described as its "criminal army."
The Iranian military spokesperson warned regional heads of state that any cooperation with the U.S. military, including logistical support, "will be considered an act of war against the sovereignty and national security of Iran."
He said that if the conflict expands across the region, "the flames of war will engulf all countries in the region."
The statement came after Trump said Monday that the U.S. was "taking over" the Strait of Hormuz and would likely operate it going forward, telling Fox News the U.S. would become the strait's "guardian angel" and should be financially reimbursed for the role.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has separately maintained in recent days that "the Strait of Hormuz is our territory." The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), on the other hand, insists that Iran does not control the waterway.
Iran declared the strait closed Saturday following what it described as an unauthorized vessel transit, saying passage would remain suspended until "stability and calm" are restored.
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