US lacks the capability to hinder Iran’s efforts to shut down the strategic Strait of Hormuz if Tehran deems it necessary to take the measure

A senior Iranian commander has underscored the Islamic Republic's military might, saying that the US lacks the capability to hinder Iran's efforts to shut down the strategic Strait of Hormuz if Tehran deems it necessary to take the measure.

“Regardless of their publicity campaigns and propaganda efforts, the Americans are incapable of confronting Iranian actions in a number of spheres, including the potential plan [by Iran] to shut down the Strait of Hormuz,” Deputy Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said on Monday.

The principal objective of Iran in the region is to defuse tensions, Jazayeri noted, adding that protecting and guaranteeing security in the Gulf are among the major defensive policies of the country.

However, should the country's national interests come under threat, Iran's armed forces will utilize their defensive capabilities to defend the country's sovereignty, he said.

In a Sunday address in Tehran, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast also described the strategic Strait of Hormuz, linking the Sea of Oman to the Gulf, as a crucial waterway for the global economy.

Mehmanparast emphasized that the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world's oil supply flows out, clearly explains why its security is of high priority for Iran. The senior diplomat insisted, however, that no foreign power should imagine that they can determine, for political ends, which states can and which ones can't benefit from Gulf resources. He added that Tehran spares no effort to maintain security in the Gulf.