Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabali said that military plans have been drawn up to close the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, but added Iranian forces won’t shut it down until they receive the go-ahead from Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
In addition to drawing up plans for the strait’s closure and awaiting permission from Iran’s supreme leader, the Iranian Parliament, or Majlis, still needs to give final approval.
Earlier this month, the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament drafted a bill requiring the government to stop all oil tankers shipping to those countries that support sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union against Iran’s oil sales.
Senior lawmaker Javad Karimi Qoddousi outlined some of the draft law’s provisions: “Based on the draft bill, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will continue until the annulment of all the sanctions imposed against Iran, and the government will be allowed to open the strait only after meeting 14 conditions.”
He said the legislation also includes imposing a three-percent tariff on ships carrying other cargos destined for oil-importing countries, such as the U.S. and E.U. countries that support sanctions against Iran.
The tariff, he said, will be one of the conditions for opening the waterway to those countries’ oil tankers, and payment must be wired to Iran’s Central Bank, on which the West also has imposed sanctions.
Another Iranian lawmaker, Mehdi Moussavinejad, said that the draft legislation will be submitted to the parliament’s presiding board in late July to be put on the calendar for “double-urgency” consideration by all members of the Majilis.
This could mean that any final decision approved by the Majlis may not be forthcoming until late July, with Khamenei making a final decision by early August.
In addition to drawing up plans for the strait’s closure and awaiting permission from Iran’s supreme leader, the Iranian Parliament, or Majlis, still needs to give final approval.
Earlier this month, the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament drafted a bill requiring the government to stop all oil tankers shipping to those countries that support sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union against Iran’s oil sales.
Senior lawmaker Javad Karimi Qoddousi outlined some of the draft law’s provisions: “Based on the draft bill, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will continue until the annulment of all the sanctions imposed against Iran, and the government will be allowed to open the strait only after meeting 14 conditions.”
He said the legislation also includes imposing a three-percent tariff on ships carrying other cargos destined for oil-importing countries, such as the U.S. and E.U. countries that support sanctions against Iran.
The tariff, he said, will be one of the conditions for opening the waterway to those countries’ oil tankers, and payment must be wired to Iran’s Central Bank, on which the West also has imposed sanctions.
Another Iranian lawmaker, Mehdi Moussavinejad, said that the draft legislation will be submitted to the parliament’s presiding board in late July to be put on the calendar for “double-urgency” consideration by all members of the Majilis.
This could mean that any final decision approved by the Majlis may not be forthcoming until late July, with Khamenei making a final decision by early August.
