WANA (Jul 04) – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, has strongly criticized a joint declaration issued by France and the United Kingdom regarding the Strait of Hormuz, warning extra-regional powers against using the strategic waterway for military displays.

 

Reacting to the joint statement on the social media platform X, Gharibabadi stated: “The Strait of Hormuz is not a military display ground for extra-regional powers.”

 

The Iranian official emphasized Tehran’s role in regional maritime security, writing: “As a responsible power and the guarantor of the strait’s security, Iran warns against any military movement in this sensitive waterway. The security of the Strait of Hormuz belongs to the coastal states; crisis-makers will be responsible for the consequences of their adventurism; this warning is serious.”

 

The reaction follows a joint declaration by the President of the French Republic and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom dated July 4, 2026.

 

In the statement, the UK and France labeled the Strait of Hormuz a “vital artery for the global economy” and stated they “stand ready to deploy the wider Multinational Military Mission to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

 

The joint declaration also noted that the Sultanate of Oman had agreed to work with the European nations to ensure the safety of its sovereign territorial waters.