April 30: Iran declares 'new chapter' in managing Strait of Hormuz as US pressure wanes

By Press TV Website Staff

Iran has moved to redefine the balance of power in the Persian Gulf, with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei, declaring the start of a “new chapter” in the management of the Strait of Hormuz.

Senior military commanders warned that any renewed US aggression against the country would face severe retaliation, while political leaders dismissed Washington’s blockade threats as both illegal and unworkable.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States has destroyed all remaining trust by striking Iran twice during diplomatic talks.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf ridiculed Washington’s warnings and noted that the blockade is instead driving global energy prices sharply higher.

Iran also rejected  Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) accusations and reaffirmed its support for Lebanon as Israeli attacks intensified across the country in breach of a truce.

Meanwhile, signs of deepening strain in the US became clearer: American lawmakers warned war costs could exceed $1 trillion, Europe distanced itself from Washington’s strategy, and crude prices surged past $119 a barrel.

Russia cautioned the White House against further escalation and praised Iran’s restraint.

Key developments on day 62 of the war, the twenty-third day of the ceasefire:​​​​​​

• Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, declared the dawn of a "new chapter" for the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that Iran will implement new management rules over the strategic waterway following recent US-Israeli aggression against the country.
• Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi said Iran will respond to any enemy aggression with prolonged and painful blows, adding that American naval vessels will share the fate of US military bases in the region.
• The IRGC warned that the Persian Gulf cannot be secured through the presence of "arrogant and hegemonic powers," adding that "in the near future, with the expulsion of America and foreigners from the region, the hope of nations will be realised."
• President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s trust in the US has been "completely destroyed" after two wars of aggression against Iran during negotiations. He called on Washington to halt "provocative" rhetoric and actions.
• Iran's president said any attempt to impose naval restrictions and a blockade contravenes international regulations and poses a threat to the interests of regional nations and global peace and stability, and is doomed to fail.
• Iranian Parliament Speaker Qalibaf mocked the US President’s warnings that Iran’s oil wells could explode, calling it “junk advice” and warning that Washington’s blockade threats are instead driving global oil prices toward $140 per barrel.
• Qalibaf ridiculed the US naval blockade against Iran, pointing out that the country’s vast borders make any attempt at sealing it off impossible.
• Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi praised Lebanon's "exemplary resistance" against relentless Israeli attacks and reaffirmed Tehran's firm support for Lebanon.
• Araghchi said US President Donald Trump correctly uses the age-old name “Persian Gulf,” rather than the “fake” name promoted by the Pentagon, but at the same time makes a “terrible mistake” by misnaming the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically dismissed as “unfounded and baseless” the anti-Iran allegations made in a statement issued by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regarding Tehran's retaliatory operations amid the US-Israeli war of aggression.
• Mohammad Mokhber, top advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, warned that a US naval blockade will not push the Islamic Republic "back to the Stone Age" but will instead plunge the "system of domination into an ice age".
• The Iranian ambassador and permanent representative to the UN Office and other international organisations in Vienna, Reza Najafi, said the United States “falsely portrayed” the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear activities as a danger in a bid to wage two illegal acts of aggression against the country.
• Mohsen Rezaei, senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said fresh aggression towards Iran will be "catastrophic" for the United States.
• As Washington expands its illegal blockade and sanctions, Iran is moving around it, with Pakistan activating a new transit corridor through Iranian territory, sending its first CPEC-linked shipment to Uzbekistan via Iran’s overland routes.
• US Senator Bernie Sanders warned that the cost of the illegal war launched by the United States against Iran will surpass $1 trillion, a staggering sum that dramatically overshadows the Pentagon’s claim that Washington has spent just $25 billion so far on the unprovoked aggression.
• Pentagon’s $25 billion estimate for the illegal war on Iran is increasingly seen as misleading, with new details pointing to far greater financial costs and significant US military damage inflicted by Iran's defensive strikes, a CNN report said.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Donald Trump not to resume attacks on Iran. In a phone call between the two leaders, Putin said Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire was “the right one”, AFP reported.
• Trump said the US was considering reducing its troops in Germany over Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s refusal to join Washington’s war on Iran.
• Following Trump’s comments, the European Union said that the deployment of US troops in Europe was in Washington’s interest.
• Trump told national security officials to prepare for a long blockade of Iran’s ports to "compel" Tehran to give up its "nuclear programme," according to the Wall Street Journal.
• Mahmoud Qamati, Deputy Head of Hezbollah’s Political Council, reiterated the resistance movement’s principled stance in light of Israeli acts of aggression, stressing that steadfastness and resilience will continue until all Israeli-occupied Lebanese territory is fully liberated.
• At least two Israeli soldiers were killed and more than 27 others wounded in multiple Hezbollah drone attacks across southern Lebanon, as Israel warned Washington that its deterrence capability against the Lebanese resistance movement is nearing collapse
• Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the “continuing Israeli violations” in south Lebanon, saying they included “demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises day after day”.
• Global crude prices soared following reports of a possible extended blockade, with Brent jumping above $119 a barrel to its highest level since 2022 and US benchmark WTI above $105.
• The Asian Development Bank has cut growth forecasts and raised inflation projections, with higher fuel and food prices hitting millions.
• International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol said the world is facing a “major energy and economic challenge” as oil prices have soared in the wake of the war. With the world faced with “the biggest energy crisis in history,” oil prices were “putting a lot of pressure on many countries”, he added.

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