An Iranian military spokesman said Monday that Tehran had “full control” over the Persian Gulf, Oman’s territorial waters, and the Strait of Hormuz, and therefore had no need to lay mines in the Gulf, according to Persian-language statements circulated by Iranian media and IRGC-affiliated channels.
The statement, attributed to the spokesman of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said Iran was controlling the Strait of Hormuz “smartly and powerfully” and would use “any means” necessary to secure the area if needed. It also said “extra-regional countries” had no right to interfere.
The remarks added to mounting tension around one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Iran International reported separately that Iran’s Defense Council had warned that any attack on Iran’s southern coasts or islands could lead to the mining of maritime access routes in the Persian Gulf.
'No need to deploy mines'
That appeared to contrast with Monday’s newer message that Iran had no need to deploy mines because of its claimed dominance in the area. The gap may reflect an effort by Tehran to preserve the threat of escalation while projecting confidence. This is an inference based on the public statements.
No independent evidence was provided for Iran’s claim of “full control,” and the statement should be understood as an official Iranian position, not a verified operational assessment.