Military aggression failed, US bullying won’t open Strait of Hormuz: Qalibaf

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says the country will not open the Strait of Hormuz under bullying from the United States.

In a Wednesday post on his X account, Qalibaf said that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway in the Persian Gulf which is responsible for a fifth of global oil supply, will not be possible in the face of “blatant violations” of a ceasefire announced earlier this month to stop the US-Israeli aggression against the country.

Qalibaf, who has served as Iran’s top negotiator in talks with the US, made a reference to the continued US blockade of Iran’s trade activity in international waters and recurrent attacks by the Israeli regime on Lebanon as clear examples of ceasefire violations.

The US has been pressing Iran for a deal on its terms. A first round of Pakistan-mediated talks collapsed in Islamabad on April 12 without an agreement, days after the two-week ceasefire took effect on April 8.

Iran has refrained from committing to a second round of negotiations with the US in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, with authorities citing US excessive demands and its naval blockade of Iran as two main impediments to conclude the war.

That comes as Washington wants Iran to ease its restrictions on transit via the Strait of Hormuz without lifting its own blockade on Iranian ports, a demand Iran has rejected.

“They failed to reach their objectives through military aggression, nor will they through bullying. The only solution is to accept the rights of the Iranian nation,” said Qalibaf in his Farsi-language post.

The post came less than a day after US President Donald Trump unilaterally extended the ceasefire, saying his administration will wait for an Iranian proposal for a second round of talks in Islamabad.

Iranian authorities have yet to give any signal they will attend the talks.

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