U.S.-ISRAELI WAR OF TERRORISM
Iran Rewrites Rules of Confrontation
TEHRAN — Iran is changing its strategy in the war, diplomacy and confrontation with the U.S. blockade, Major General Mohsen Rezaei said, declaring that Tehran will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, impose new restrictions on vessels approaching the waterway and refuse negotiations until Washington takes concrete action.
Rezaei, Iran’s representative to the Supreme National Security Council and its secretary, said Tehran has reviewed developments over the past year and concluded that its previous approach needs to be replaced with a broader strategy covering military operations, negotiations and the economic consequences of the blockade.
“After reviewing and assessing the developments of the past year, we reached the conclusion that we must employ new strategies in the war, in negotiations and in the issue of the blockade,” Rezaei said in a televised interview.
He described the Strait of Hormuz as the first major change in that strategy, saying Iran is moving to strengthen its control over the waterway and the approaches leading toward it.
“The Strait of Hormuz is completely closed,” Rezaei said, rejecting claims by the United States that ships and oil tankers were continuing to transit the waterway.
He said some vessels are attempting to pass through a rocky route associated with Oman, with some switching off their navigation systems in an effort to move through the area.
Rezaei said Iran has so far refrained from sinking those vessels because of environmental concerns. “We have not decided to sink those ships for environmental reasons for now,” he said.
The statement came alongside an announcement that Iran intends to establish a new restricted area around the maritime approaches to the strait.
Rezaei said that “in the coming days” Iran will announce a new prohibited or restricted zone extending between the U.S. blockade line and the ports where vessels load their cargo.
He said any ship operating on either side of the Strait of Hormuz and seeking to move toward the waterway without coordinating with Iran will be placed on an Iranian sanctions list.
Such action, he said, could have consequences for insurance and future movement through the region.
“Therefore, a sanctions-based restricted zone will be created for the designated area of Iran,” Rezaei said, adding that vessels acting without coordination with Tehran would face consequences.
Iran and Oman, he said, have agreed on a new international corridor through the area, with Iran taking responsibility for managing it.
“A new international corridor, which Iran will manage, has been established with our Omani brothers and will be announced in the coming days,” he said.
The planned corridor will give Tehran another mechanism for regulating maritime movement while providing an alternative framework for international shipping in an area central to global energy trade.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a critical route for oil and other commodities moving out of the Persian Gulf.
Rezaei’s remarks put the strait at the center of Iran’s new strategy, but he stressed that the change is not limited to maritime operations.
He described the new approach as covering three interconnected areas: the conduct of the war, diplomacy and the response to the U.S. blockade.
On the military front, Rezaei said Iran has begun targeting the vulnerabilities of the U.S. pressure campaign itself.
He said that roughly 48 hours before the interview, Iranian forces carried out an important warning attack against a U.S. warship.
Rezaei said the attack was significant and that U.S. Central Command had been unable to deny it. “This is an important warning to the enemy,” he said. “This means that the naval blockade is vulnerable.”
He also pointed to Iranian attacks against U.S. bases in Jordan and Erbil as evidence of the new military approach.
According to Rezaei, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced plans for a heavy 10-day attack on Iran, but the terrorist campaign was shortened after Washington encountered Iranian attacks on support bases and locations where U.S. troops were stationed.
He said the Iranian attacks were unexpected and forced Washington to abandon the original timetable.
Rezaei also referred to an Iranian missile test over a U.S. warship, which he said caused the vessel to flee.
He presented the incidents as evidence that Iran has shifted from absorbing U.S. military pressure to actively demonstrating the vulnerabilities of American forces and the blockade.
“The United States is the one that is warlike, and we are standing against the warmongers,” Rezaei said.
He added that Iran is not seeking permanent war and wanted conflicts across the region to end. “We are seeking an end to all wars in the region,” he said, referring to wars in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
Rezaei said Iran had previously sought guarantees through the Islamabad memorandum of understanding but had concluded that intermediaries were unable to provide the guarantees Tehran wanted.
As a result, he said Iran would no longer make reciprocal moves simply in response to diplomatic assurances.
“Under the new approach, until practical actions are first taken by the United States, Iran will not take action,” Rezaei said.
He linked that position directly to the Strait of Hormuz. “Until their actions begin and become practical, the Strait will not be opened,” he said.
Rezaei said the distrust between Iran and the United States is rooted in history, beginning with the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Muhammad Mosaddegh and continuing through decades of hostility.
He said Iran haslegitimate reasons to distrust Washington, adding the United States cannot credibly demand reciprocal confidence from Tehran.
His position was reinforced in a post on his official X account on Monday night, in which he responded to Trump’s shifting statements about negotiations.
“Don’t get distracted by the U.S. president’s mixed signals—from ‘no negotiations’ to ‘we’re ready to talk,’” Rezaei wrote. “The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming.”
“No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!” he added.
The statement followed Trump’s claim that Iran wanted to make a deal “quickly and badly” and that he would decide whether the United States would engage, while saying that the possibility of talks remained open.
The same principle applies to the blockade.
Rezaei rejected the argument that U.S. restrictions could bring famine or severe shortages to Iran, saying the government has prepared for the possibility of prolonged economic pressure.
“The claim that the American blockade will bring famine to Iran is a lie,” he said.
He said essential commodities and strategic reserves are fully supplied and that Iran has maintained sufficient stocks.
On oil, Rezaei said Iran used an earlier period of opportunity under the Islamabad memorandum to remove between 70 million and 80 million barrels of oil that had already been produced and stored outside the region.
He said Iran is now selling that oil. “Commodity reserves are stable and oil sales are continuing,” he said.
Rezaei also described a shift in Iran’s foreign trade strategy, stating that a country with 15 neighboring states should not rely entirely on maritime commerce. “Land corridors are being activated,” he said.
The move is intended to give Iran greater flexibility in maintaining trade if maritime restrictions remain in place.
Rezaei also addressed attempts by Israel and the United States to create internal instability in Iran.
He said Washington has failed in efforts to create an international consensus against Tehran and stated that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is again trying to persuade Trump to focus on riots inside Iran.
Rezaei said Israel and the United States could attempt to combine internal unrest with military action, describing the strategy as an effort to reproduce the “December coup.”
Such an effort would fail because of popular support for Iran’s armed forces and the experience gained during the recent confrontations with the United States, he added.
Rezaei also rejected Netanyahu’s claim that Iran was now reluctant to attack Israeli targets because of Israel’s military strength.
“Netanyahu’s exaggerations are mostly electoral in nature,” Rezaei said. “Iran will advance its plans.”
On Lebanon, Rezaei said Iran remains confident that Hezbollah will ultimately prevail despite changes on the battlefield.
He said that no conflict consists entirely of consecutive victories or defeats and cited historical examples to make the point that temporary reversals do not necessarily determine the final outcome.
He said that over the past three decades Hezbollah has generally maintained the upper hand. “Be assured that Lebanon and Hezbollah are the final victors,” Rezaei said.
He also reiterated that Iran retains the right to retaliate over a U.S. attack on a wedding ceremony in Kuhestak. “Until today, the only war that has always been a victory for us and a defeat for the enemy is this Iran-U.S. war,” he said.
He added that Iran’s experience over the previous two centuries shows that whenever it retreated, its opponents advanced.
Rezaei said the change in strategy also includes a long-term economic component.
The Supreme National Security Council secretariat is preparing an economic security document designed both to help attract foreign investment and provide a clearer economic future for younger Iranians, he added.