Iran's parliament speaker says Strait of Hormuz fully under Iranian control

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Kalibaf, said the country's armed forces maintain full control over the Strait of Hormuz and accused the United States of attempting to move ships through the waterway "like thieves and smugglers." In a message published on Tuesday, Kalibaf said recent attacks came after Iran asserted its dominance in the strait and that a "heavy response" was delivered in return. Kalibaf said the military restructuring and capacity-building process is continuing and that the progress achieved in the past 15 months is equivalent to gains made over a decade. He argued that the United States cannot subdue Iran and that control on the ground lies with Tehran, adding that in any new confrontation Iran would be superior in both quantity and quality. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in an interview with Fox News, said Washington's military and security moves in the region are largely aimed at securing commercial passage through the strait. Vance described Iranian leaders as "unbelievably unpredictable" and willing to take steps lacking strategic judgment to disrupt global energy flows.