Ghalibaf Warns of New Strait of Hormuz Equation in Uae Iran War
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the uae iran war has reached a new phase in the Strait of Hormuz, warning on X that “a new equation of the strait of Hormuz is in the process of being solidified.” The Iranian parliament speaker said the dispute over shipping and energy transit had already changed conditions in the waterway.
Ghalibaf also warned that “The security of shipping and energy transit has been jeopardised by the United States and its allies through the violation of the ceasefire and the imposition of a blockade; of course, their evil will diminish.” He added: “We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America; while we have not even begun yet.”
Ghalibaf and the Strait of Hormuz
Ghalibaf, who is also Iran’s chief negotiator, framed the confrontation as a direct response to US pressure. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway used for shipping and energy transit, and that makes every restriction there immediately operational for foreign cargo traffic and energy flows.
Iran imposed a blockade on foreign shipping using the Strait of Hormuz on 28 February, soon after a US-Israeli attack that killed the country’s former supreme leader. Donald Trump then imposed a counter-blockade of ships using Iranian ports on 13 April, giving the standoff a second layer that affects vessels linked to both Iranian ports and the wider strait.
Trump’s Project Freedom
Trump’s Project Freedom began yesterday and says its aim is to use the US military to guide stranded cargo ships out of the strategic waterway. Iran’s military central command warned that it would strike any US naval vessel approaching the strait, setting a direct military warning against the new US operation.
The immediate practical effect for shipping is that foreign vessels now face restrictions from both Iranian and US actions. For operators trying to move cargo through the area, the question is not only whether the strait stays open, but which side’s rules apply at each end of the route.
Iran Nuclear Dispute
The standoff sits alongside a wider nuclear dispute that sharpened in late February, when Trump claimed Iran posed an imminent threat through its nuclear programme. The US and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities last June, and Iran had about 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity in April.
Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and that it has no plans to develop nuclear weapons. Israel has never confirmed or denied possessing nuclear weapons, while Israel is widely believed to have at least 90 warheads.
Ghalibaf’s warning leaves the next move with Washington and Tehran: Trump’s Project Freedom is already in motion, and Iran’s military has already threatened US naval vessels approaching the strait. The result is a shipping corridor where every new order, escort, or interception can change what foreign carriers are able to do next.
