ISTANBUL

Iran said Monday it maintains “firm control” over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that regional security does not require foreign intervention.

“Iran firmly controls the Persian Gulf region and Oman’s territorial waters, managing the Strait of Hormuz with skill and authority,” the Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said in a statement carried by the state-run Press TV.

“With this level of power, there is no need to lay mines,” it added, emphasizing that security will be maintained “by whatever means necessary.”

The military command said Iran’s armed forces and regional partners “can secure the Persian Gulf against American and Israeli threats.”

“Foreign powers have no right to interfere,” it stressed.

The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively disrupted since early March. Around 20 million barrels of oil normally pass through it daily, and its disruption has driven up shipping costs and pushed global oil prices higher.

Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.