Al Jazeera report: Hormuz Iran’s biggest tool: Ghalibaf

Iran will maintain its control over the Strait of Hormuz, said the country’s parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf. He called the vital waterway Iran’s “biggest tool of power.”
In an interview with state media about the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States, Ghalibaf said that under the agreement, maritime service fees in the Strait of Hormuz have only been temporarily waived for 60 days. However, this does not mean that Iran is giving up its rights over the waterway.
“These are our territorial waters. Iran is closing the Strait of Hormuz—we will not allow the US claim to create any controversy or confusion,” Ghalibaf was quoted as saying by state media Press TV. He added, “Iran will not deviate from this position even by an inch.” Ghaliboff described the Strait of Hormuz as “a divine gift from God in times of war” and said it was Iran’s “greatest strength”.
The Strait of Hormuz, known as one of the world’s most important energy transport routes, is a major transit route for vast quantities of crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The security and control of the waterway has long been a source of tension between Iran, the United States and Western countries.