TEHRAN, May 9– A senior Iranian lawmaker said on Friday that a parliamentary bill on the legal regime of the Strait of Hormuz is ready and will be passed as a “deterrent” law once the legislative body resumes operations.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, made the remarks on the sidelines of a commemoration ceremony in Tehran while commenting on the parliament’s decision to approve legislation that would block vessels tied to Israel and the United States through the Strait of Hormuz and impose tolls on other ships deemed non-hostile.
Azizi said the bill is ready and has been discussed in a series of meetings with the country’s relevant authorities, including the Foreign Ministry and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization.
Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz beginning Feb. 28, when it barred vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States from passing through the Strait following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.
Meanwhile, Azizi said on Thursday that Iran has always sought to ensure safe and free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that the U.S. military presence and Israel’s “adventurism” are the main roots of the insecurity and instability in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, the official news agency IRNA reported on Friday. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
