Tehran, Iran – As the United States awaits Tehran’s latest response to texts for an agreement being exchanged through intermediaries, Iranian authorities and state-linked media are emphasising that they consider control over the Strait of Hormuz more important than ever.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters on Saturday that Iran was still reviewing Washington’s proposal.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“We do our own work, we don’t pay attention to deadlines or timing,” he said, in reference to US President Donald Trump’s expected timelines for an Iranian response.With no breakthrough in sight, Iranian authorities continue to signal an elevated status in their doctrine for the strategic strait, perhaps rivalling the contentious nuclear programme for which the country has been sanctioned and isolated for decades.The theocratic and military establishment in Iran has “neglected the blessing” of the strait for years, said Mohamad Mohkber, a senior adviser to slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and first vice president under late Ebrahim Raisi.“In reality, it is a capability on the level of an atomic bomb, because when you have a capability that can affect the entire global economy with a single decision, that is an enormous capability,” he told state-linked Mehr news agency on Friday.Mokhber said the authorities will by no means relinquish control “that we have gained through this war” and will endeavour to “alter the governing regime” of the strait either through international channels or through domestic laws passed by …
