Baghaei: Strait of Hormuz will not be safe unless naval blockade is lifted

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on 2 November that the Strait of Hormuz will not be safe unless the naval blockade is lifted and Iran's demands are met.

Baghaei said: “Washington has so far proven that it is working to sabotage any diplomatic path.”

The spokesman also said that there is harmony and unity among all the bodies that take decisions in the Iranian government. Referring to the positions of the UN Security Council, he said: “We regret the positions of the Security Council, which do not criticise crimes and remain silent about them.”

Baghaei added: “Threats increase our determination and confidence to continue our positions and stand firm on them.”

The statement came amid continuing tension in the Strait of Hormuz. On 1 November the Naval Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers moving along an unauthorised route in the strait exploded after hitting a sea mine, and that one of them was a supertanker. Bahrain's foreign minister said that, because of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, about 1,600 ships and more than 23,000 seafarers are stranded in the region.

Earlier, on 1 November, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said an Iranian delegation had visited Qatar at the level of deputy foreign minister with the aim of continuing consultations with Qatari mediators. According to Araghchi, consultations on the plan proposed by the mediators are continuing, but no final result has yet been reached.

The United States began enforcing a naval blockade against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz in April 2026.