Iranian ambassador to Tajikistan says US failed in attempts to control Strait of Hormuz

Lead

Iran's Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Ali Mojtaba Rouzbehani, has declared that the United States has effectively failed in its efforts to dominate the Strait of Hormuz, and that Israel is attempting to drag Washington into a full-scale regional war. His remarks, made in statements published by the Iranian embassy in Ashgabat, were reported by TASS on July 16.

Rouzbehani also said that the US policy of pressure and economic sanctions can no longer push Iran to make concessions, and he called on Washington to return to the negotiating table and adopt a framework of respectful diplomatic dialogue with Tehran.

Coverage Comparison

All three reports from TASS — the only outlet whose coverage is available — focus on statements by Rouzbehani, though each highlights a different aspect of his comments.

One TASS report centers on Rouzbehani's assertion that the US has experienced a setback in its attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz. He described the waterway as a "hotly contested" zone now controlled by Iranian forces and regional actors, while Washington's strategists grapple with rising reputational and resource costs. Another report emphasizes his claim that Israel, facing a security crisis, is engaging in a "dangerous backstairs game" to provoke Washington into a war that would shift losses onto American soldiers and taxpayers. A third report focuses on his criticism of US sanctions policy, tying the current crisis to the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and a series of broken promises.

Key Claims

Rouzbehani argued that the "root cause" of the current crisis lies in the "historic and unilateral violation of commitments" by former US President Donald Trump, who, he said, repeatedly disrupted the negotiation process and violated existing agreements with Iran. Withdrawal from the JCPOA and broken promises created a "deep crisis of mistrust," he added, driving the US to use methods that have "completely lost their effectiveness." He stated that the failed policy of "maximum pressure" and "unfair economic sanctions" can no longer force Iran to make concessions.

Iran has demonstrated its ability to defend its territorial integrity and national sovereignty, Rouzbehani said, while the US has reached "the end of the era of unilateral dictate" and must accept new geopolitical realities in the region. He warned that the "fiery ball" of the Strait of Hormuz has already "seriously burned Washington's hands," and that the White House should end "pointless and costly gambles" and return to the negotiating table.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Rouzbehani said the waterway has transformed into a zone controlled by Iranian forces and regional actors, and that US attempts to dominate it have reached a "tipping point" from which there is no return. He asserted that claims of absolute US control over the Persian Gulf and the notion of American aircraft carriers as sole guarantors of security are "increasingly undermined" by Iran's military, missile, and geopolitical strength. He described the US military as being in a "strategic dead end," incapable of launching or sustaining a full-scale operation against Iran, yet unable to withdraw without losing its superpower status.

Regarding Israel, Rouzbehani said the "Zionist regime," experiencing an "unprecedented security crisis" and realizing the "extreme weakness and strategic passivity" of the US, is engaging in provocations and spreading false information to involve Washington in an all-out war. His stated goal is to shift the "human, material and reputational losses" of the confrontation with Iran onto American soldiers and taxpayers, while hiding behind Washington's "defensive shield."

All these statements come from a single source: TASS's reporting on the ambassador's remarks. The claims have not been independently verified, and no other outlets' coverage is available for comparison.