WANA (Jul 02) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz is “defined under Iran’s authority, not U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM),” criticizing a U.S.-led regional security initiative.

 

His remarks came in response to a U.S. Central Command announcement that it had led a regional security dialogue in Bahrain with military representatives from 12 countries.

 

In a post on X, Gharibabadi said a military meeting in Bahrain could not establish a legal or security order for the Persian Gulf.

 

He argued that regional security would be achieved through an end to foreign intervention, the withdrawal of the United States from the region, respect for the sovereignty of regional states, and acceptance of new geopolitical realities, “not under the U.S. military umbrella.”