Iran’s Parliament has approved a proposal that can lead to the closure of the Ormuz Strait, one of the world’s leading sea transportation routes. The measure still needs the approval of the Iranian National Security Council to enter into force.
The information was confirmed by Esmail Kosari, General of the Armed Forces and member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, in a statement issued by Sputnik and Hispantv agencies.
According to Kosari, the parliament gave a green signal to the proposal, but the process still depends on deliberation by the country’s higher security authorities.
“This proposal has been approved in Parliament. It will now be analyzed by the Supreme National Security Council,” said the general.
The Strait of Ormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and, for him, passes about one fifth of the oil consumed globally. Control about this strategic point has been a recurring theme in the region’s security policy, especially in times of tensions between Iran and Western powers.
Iran’s Supreme Supreme Security Council, a body responsible for strategic security and foreign policy decisions, is composed of representatives of the government, the Armed Forces and the judiciary, and its deliberations need to be approved by the country’s supreme leader, Aiatola Ali Khamenei. The closure of the Ormuz Strait, if authorized, may cause immediate international repercussions and directly affect energy markets.
Although Parliament has approved the proposal, the measure does not yet represent a concrete action. General Kosari emphasized that the next step will be the analysis of the proposal on the Supreme Council, a body that holds the final authority on such themes.
The history of Iranian threats of closing the Ormuz Strait is linked to episodes of economic sanctions imposed on the country, mainly because of the nuclear program and military tensions in the Gulf.
In recent years, Iranian authorities have repeatedly mentioned this possibility as a response to measures from the United States or allies that directly affect the economic and strategic interests of the Islamic Republic.