Iranian media have published a statement signed by 63 members of the Assembly of Experts criticizing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and describing the move as inconsistent with the commitments of Iranian officials and a strategic mistake.
According to Tasnim and Fars news agencies, the signatories argued that continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon and the continued presence of Israeli forces in parts of southern Lebanon amount to violations of the recent understanding between Iran and the United States. They said that, under those circumstances, reopening the Strait of Hormuz was not consistent with Iran’s commitments.
The statement also included language calling for violence against foreign political leaders. Such rhetoric has not been accompanied by any indication of official government policy and has drawn attention because of its inflammatory nature.
The signatories further called for maintaining Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, securing compensation for war-related damages, recovering frozen Iranian assets, lifting sanctions and ending the U.S. military presence in the region.
The statement comes as public disagreements have intensified among political factions in Iran over the agreement with Washington.
At the same time, a representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has urged critics of the agreement not to deepen internal divisions or create opportunities for foreign adversaries.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the agreement with the United States had been approved by more than 90 percent of the members of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, including senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guard, and that its implementation had already begun.
