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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned that no country in the region will be allowed to sell oil if Iran is denied the same opportunity, and that the Strait of Hormuz will only reopen under Tehran's terms. The remarks come amid an escalating exchange of strikes between Iran and the United States in West Asia.

Coverage comparison

Ghalibaf's comments were reported by several outlets, each placing different emphasis on the situation. The Jerusalem Post framed the statement as a "dangerous escalation in rhetoric," quoting a Bahraini analyst who said the threat collapses the distinction between US targets and the economies of Gulf states. The newspaper also reported that Iranian attacks have targeted civilian infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain, and that Amazon's central data infrastructure was destroyed by cruise missiles, according to IRGC-affiliated media.

TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported Ghalibaf's warning in two separate articles, focusing on his conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz and his assertion that "if you strike, you'll get hit." TASS also noted that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has conducted additional strikes on Iranian targets and that explosions were reported in Iranian port cities.

The Hindu, an Indian newspaper, carried the same core message: Iran's chief negotiator said the Strait of Hormuz would open only under "Iranian arrangements," after Tehran and Washington traded strikes in the region. The Hindu quoted Ghalibaf's social media post: "If you strike, you will be struck."

Key claims

  • Ghalibaf wrote on X that "in a region where we don't sell oil, no one does," and that if Iran's security is not guaranteed, "no infrastructure in the region is safe." He also said security in the strait is possible only if no American forces are present there, according to TASS.
  • The speaker declared that the "equation of this conflict" is "either all or none," as reported by TASS.
  • Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz will open only with "Iranian arrangements, not American threats," according to TASS and The Hindu.
  • He warned that the US "still has not learned that bullying and breaking its promises no longer come without consequences," and that "If you strike, you will be struck," as reported by The Hindu.
  • The latest escalation of the US-Iran conflict began on July 8, when the US launched several series of strikes on Iranian territory, according to TASS. The agency also reported that US President Donald Trump ended the ceasefire with Iran on the same day.
  • The Jerusalem Post reported that Ghalibaf threatened to escalate the war, and that Iranian attacks had targeted civilian infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain over the past week. The paper cited IRGC-affiliated media saying Amazon's central data infrastructure was destroyed by cruise missiles.
  • TASS reported explosions in the Iranian port cities of Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Chabahar, as well as in Bushehr province, following CENTCOM strikes aimed at weakening Iran's ability to control the Strait of Hormuz.
  • The Jerusalem Post quoted Bahraini analyst Ahmed Alkhuzaie as saying Ghalibaf's remarks represent a "dangerous escalation in rhetoric," moving beyond earlier claims that only US assets were being targeted and effectively placing the region itself in Tehran's crosshairs.

Perspectives

Iran — Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf insists that Iran's security and oil sales are prerequisites for opening the Strait of Hormuz glой. He frames the conflict as a response to US strikes and broken promises, warning that any strike on Iran will be met in kind.

United States (CENTCOM) — The US military says it has delivered additional strikes on Iranian targets to weaken Iran's capabilities to control the Strait of Hormuz, according to TASS.

Bahraini analyst Ahmed Alkhuzaie — Quoted by The Jerusalem Post, Alkhuzaie views Ghalibaf's rhetoric as a dangerous escalation that erases the line between US targets and Gulf economies, potentially placing the entire region in Iran's crosshairs.