Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s lead negotiator, addresses the media inside the Iranian Parliament in Tehran, Iran, on December 2, 2025. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Getty Images
With rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran cautions that it possesses more methods to create difficulties for the United States if its dominance over the waterway is at risk. While the US asserts its resolve to overcome the stalemate, Tehran indicates it is ready to contend for it.
In his most recent statement, Iran’s lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasized that his nation aims to maintain the new “status quo” at the strait by claiming authority even if Washington deems it “unacceptable.”
“We haven’t started at all,” he cautioned.
In pursuit of wins after significant defeats in the conflict, officials have indicated that the Islamic Republic will maintain authority over the crucial shipping routes in the strait.
Ghalibaf’s statement, shared during talks and a day following the confrontation at the strait, highlights the extent to which the Islamic Republic is prepared to go to achieve benefits. During the weekend, a high-ranking Iranian military official stated that renewed conflict was “possible,” mentioning that “unexpected measures are prepared for the adversary, beyond their imagination.”
The alerts reflect a declaration made the previous week by Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in which he articulated his perspective for the area—one where the regime claims “new management” over navigation in the Persian Gulf.
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