Strait of Hormuz is Only Closed to US and Israeli Ships: Iran

Iran has said that the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains open to global shipping but warned that vessels from the United States and Israel would not be allowed to pass through the crucial maritime route, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post citing an interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

In an interview with US news outlet MS NOW, Araghchi said the waterway, a vital corridor for global oil shipments, has not been closed to international traffic despite heightened tensions in the region.

"The Strait of Hormuz is only closed to US and Israeli ships," Araghchi said during the interview.

He added that other vessels continue to use the route, although some shipping companies have reportedly avoided the area due to growing security concerns amid the escalating regional conflict.

According to Araghchi, such concerns are unrelated to Iran's actions. He noted that there are still "many tankers and ships that are passing through the Strait of Hormuz."

Will the US deploy warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to global shipping?

US President Donald Trump recently said Washington and several allied countries could deploy warships to the area to ensure the strait remains accessible to international shipping.

In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump said the United States was working with other countries affected by what he described as Iran's attempted closure of the waterway.

He also mentioned that nations including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom rely on the passage and may join efforts to keep the route open and secure.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, handling a large share of global oil exports from Gulf producers. Any disruption there can significantly affect global energy markets and shipping routes.

During the interview, Araghchi also addressed speculation surrounding Iran's leadership.

Responding to claims made by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had been wounded, Araghchi dismissed the reports and insisted the country's leadership remained stable.

What did Iran say about reports that the Supreme Leader was wounded?

"There is no problem with the supreme leader," he said, adding that the leader had sent a message recently and continues to carry out his responsibilities under Iran's constitution.

Araghchi further emphasised that the Iranian political system is resilient and does not depend on any single individual. "Everything is under control," he said while responding to questions about alleged instability within the regime.

The Iranian diplomat also rejected accusations about remarks he allegedly made during nuclear negotiations with US envoys in Geneva.

Araghchi denied threatening that Iran possessed uranium for multiple nuclear bombs and said his comments about the country's enriched uranium stockpile had been misunderstood by American negotiators.

What did Iran say about raising its uranium stockpile during negotiations?

He explained that Iran currently holds around 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, which could theoretically be further enriched to produce nuclear weapons.

According to Araghchi, the point of raising the issue during negotiations was to demonstrate the scale of concessions Iran was willing to discuss in diplomatic talks.

Meanwhile, reports of "loud explosions" in central Israel emerged as air raid sirens sounded across the region following a missile strike from Iran, Al Jazeera reported, citing Israel's Channel 12.

The report said debris was seen falling in central parts of the country. Israel's ambulance service later provided medical assistance to four individuals who sustained injuries while heading to a shelter.

While the Israeli Home Front Command subsequently announced that the initial incident in the central region was over, the situation remained tense as new threats were identified.

According to Al Jazeera, the Home Front Command later detected rocket and missile fire launched towards southern regions of the country, prompting authorities to urge residents in the south to take shelter immediately.

Who were the two Iranian intelligence officials killed in Israel’s Tehran airstrike?

The Israel Defence Forces confirmed that two senior Iranian intelligence officials were killed in a targeted airstrike carried out by the Israeli Air Force in Tehran.

The officials were identified as Abdollah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, senior figures in Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Emergency Command. According to The Jerusalem Post, the strike was conducted with precise guidance from Israeli Military Intelligence.

The two men had recently been appointed as acting replacements in the intelligence division after their predecessor, Saleh Asadi, was killed during the early phase of what Israel calls Operation Roaring Lion.

The Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command is responsible for gathering and analysing intelligence for senior officials in Iran's security establishment. These assessments help shape the country's military decision-making against Israel, according to reports by The Jerusalem Post.

Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin said the operation was part of a broader campaign targeting Iranian military infrastructure. Since the start of the campaign, hundreds of Israeli Air Force aircraft have struck hundreds of targets linked to the Iranian government across Iran, Defrin noted.

He added that the operation began with a surprise attack after Israeli military intelligence identified two gathering points in Tehran where senior Iranian security leaders had assembled.

The reported strike follows the completion of 20 waves of attacks against more than 150 Iranian government targets, according to The Jerusalem Post, in an escalating effort to disrupt Iran's command networks.

Earlier, the IDF said its joint military operations with the United States against Iran will continue until an "existential threat" to Israel is eliminated. Speaking to ANI, IDF spokesperson Lt Ben Cohen said Israel is prepared for a prolonged operation to neutralise Iran's military capabilities.

"I'm not going to give any specific timeframe, but I'll tell you that we're going to keep going until we know that we've taken away that existential threat," Cohen said.

He noted that while Israel generally seeks to avoid prolonged conflicts, the scale of the threat means operations against Iran's infrastructure could take time.

(With inputs from ANI)