Iran has reiterated that it will not compromise on its control over the Strait of Hormuz, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf describing the strategic waterway as the country's greatest instrument of power, according to Al Jazeera.
Speaking to Iranian state media after commenting on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the United States, Ghalibaf said the agreement only provides a temporary 60-day exemption from maritime service fees in the Strait of Hormuz and does not alter Iran's position on sovereignty.
"These are our territorial waters," Ghalibaf said, according to Press TV. "We will not allow the United States to create controversy or sophistry by claiming that Iran has militarized the Strait of Hormuz."
He added that Iran will never, under any circumstances, retreat from this position, calling the Strait of Hormuz "a divine gift that God granted us during this war" and "our greatest instrument of power."
Separately, Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ali Bahreini, said Tehran would continue pursuing accountability over the deadly missile strike on Minab school, which Iranian authorities say killed at least 168 children and teachers on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, according to Al Jazeera.
During a virtual meeting with survivors and witnesses, Bahreini said the attack "will not be forgotten" and stressed that justice required ensuring that "crimes against civilians are not forgotten over time."
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"Today, there is no country that does not recognise the criminal nature of this attack or is unfamiliar with the name of Minab school," he said, according to Iranian state media.
Neither the United States nor Israel has acknowledged responsibility for the strike. Bahreini, however, said: "Without any doubt, responsibility for this act lies with the United States and Israel as the aggressors."
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