Iran warns Hormuz security tied to ending oil export curbs

Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref issued a stark warning early Monday, stating that no country can expect safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz while simultaneously blocking Iran’s oil exports. “No one can restrict Iran’s oil exports while expecting free security for others,” Aref wrote on X, formerly Twitter. He added that “the security of the Strait of Hormuz is not free,” suggesting Tehran could respond asymmetrically to continued pressure. Aref framed the situation as a global choice between “a free oil market for all” or “significant costs for everyone.”

Context of military conflict and talks

The warning comes amid heightened tensions following a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran that began Feb. 28, which killed more than 3,300 people before a Pakistan-mediated two-week ceasefire was announced on April 8. A second round of talks between Washington and Tehran is scheduled for Tuesday in Islamabad, after the first round on April 11-12 ended without an agreement. The US imposed a naval blockade on Iran on April 13. Aref also said that stability in global fuel prices depends on “a guaranteed and lasting end to the economic and military pressure against Iran and its allies.”