Khamenei's Control Claims
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a defiant statement asserting Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a new chapter following what he termed the largest military deployment and US defeat in the region two months prior. He stated that Tehran would secure the Gulf region and eliminate what he characterized as enemy abuses of the waterway. Khamenei also declared that new management of the strait would bring comfort, progress, and economic blessings to all nations in the region.
Direct Warning to Foreign Powers
In his statement, Khamenei issued a stark warning, declaring that foreigners who maliciously covet the strait from thousands of kilometers away have no place there except at the bottom of its waters. This language served as a direct message to the United States and other international powers regarding Iran's assertion of control over this critical global shipping route.
Fee Structure and Sovereignty
Iran's strategy involves implementing what it presents as a new fees regime for passage through the strait. The Iranian foreign ministry has instructed its parliament to recognize Iran's plans with Oman do not require new legislation. Officials are avoiding the term tolls and instead asserting Iran's pre-existing right to charge fees for services rendered, framing this as a belated assertion of regional sovereignty rather than piracy.
Blockade Dynamics
The US mounted a counter-blockade on April 13 designed to stop oil tankers from moving in or out of Iranian ports. Vessel traffic levels have plummeted to sometimes as low as three ships daily compared with normal conditions of 120-140 ships. Oil prices have surged above $120 per barrel, creating pressure on President Trump ahead of midterm elections and straining Gulf allies dependent on the waterway for oil and gas exports.
Nuclear and Missile Commitments
Khamenei vowed that Iran would guard its modern technological capacities ranging from nanotechnology to biotechnology to nuclear and missile capabilities as national capital, protecting them with the same vigilance applied to maritime, land, and air borders. This reaffirmed Iran's commitment to maintaining its strategic weapons programs alongside its assertion of control over the strait. 
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