Middle East Conflict: Strait of Hormuz not closed by Iran, says Deputy Foreign Minister

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister has reportedly said that the Strait of Hormuz has not been closed by Tehran, seeking to clarify the situation around one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.

Speaking in Delhi, the senior Iranian diplomat also took aim at remarks by US President Donald Trump regarding Iran’s leadership.

“President Trump says he wants to appoint the next leader of Iran, while he cannot even appoint the mayor of New York,” the Iranian minister said.

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He also highlighted the difference in the strategic thinking of the two countries. “We do not think with an American football mentality. We think with a chess mentality,” he said.

The Strait of Hormuz -- a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman -- is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, through which about 20 per cent of global crude oil shipments passes.