Iranian foreign minister says his country may reply to US warning that closing the Strait would be a "red line."
By REUTERSIranian military in the Strait of Hormuz 311 (R)(photo credit: REUTERS/Fars News/Hamed Jafarnejad)
TEHRAN - Iran said on Sunday it had received a letter from the US government about the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial oil shipping lane that Tehran has threatened to close if sanctions prevent it exporting oil.The United States had told Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneni that closing the Strait of Hormuz would constitute crossing a "red line," The New York Times reported Friday.RELATED:Iranian man pleads guilty to murder of nuclear scientistUN chief: Attacks on scientists to be condemnedForeign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted by news agencies as saying Tehran had not yet decided if it would reply to the letter, the contents of which he did not detail."America's message over the Strait of Hormuz reached us through three channels. It was given to our UN representative, the Swiss ambassador conveyed it to the Foreign Ministry and also Iraqi President Jalal Talabani gave the message to Iran," Mehmanparast said, according to the ISNA news agency."If we deem it is necessary to give a response to America's message, then we will reply to it. The issue is being reviewed by Iran and it will be done in an appropriate way."Tehran and Washington have had no direct diplomatic relations since 1979 and the Swiss embassy represents US interests in Iran.Tehran said on Saturday it had sent a letter to Washington with evidence US intelligence services were involved in the assassination of a nuclear scientist last week.Washington has said it would not tolerate any closure of the strait - the export route for one third of all seaborne traded oil - with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta saying that such a move would require a response.Tensions between the two countries have risen in recent weeks. US President Barack Obama signed a bill on New Year's Eve that, if fully implemented, would make it impossible for most countries to pay for Iranian oil.Click here for full Jpost coverage of theIranian threatIn addition to threats about Hormuz, Iran has started enriching uranium at an underground bunker and sentencing an Iranian-American citizen to death on spying charges.Negotiations between the West and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program stalled one year ago.Jpost.com staff contributed to this article.
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