[46279] Rhetorical Escalation in Iran: Threat to Seize the Strait of Hormuz and Promises of Revenge

Iran Sets Rigid Demands: Threat to the Strait of Hormuz and Continuation of the Revenge Policy

In a Friday sermon delivered in Tehran on May 1, 2026, prayer imam Mohammad Javad Haj-Ali-Akbari declared that the Islamic Republic does not intend to conduct further negotiations on strategic issues. According to reports from Iran International, Haj-Ali-Akbari announced that the Strait of Hormuz is not up for discussion and is destined to be managed under a "new legal regime" to be determined in cooperation between Tehran and Oman. The DW Persian channel confirmed the report and noted that this is part of a hardline policy intended to demonstrate resistance against the United States and its allies.

In addition to the territorial aspect, Haj-Ali-Akbari emphasized that the nuclear issue is off the table and will not be subject to negotiation. He praised the negotiating team, led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, for "rejecting the enemy's face."

On the security front, the imam reiterated aggressive messages toward the West. Referring to a message attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, Haj-Ali-Akbari threatened that Iran will not forget the blood of the martyrs, and that "we have not yet avenged the blood of Qasem Soleimani." He declared that if Ghalibaf's diplomacy does not achieve its goals, it will be the turn of "Sayyed Majid" to use "launchers and missiles" to strike at the heart of what he termed "the Devil."

The reporting channels, including پیام ایران, emphasize that this is an escalation in the Iranian establishment's tone. The government's position, as presented in the sermon, requires economic reparations from the United States for the damages caused to Iran, while setting rigid red lines that leave no opening for diplomatic dialogue in the near term.