Ghalibaf: We will respond to naval blockade militarily

Tehran - BORNA - Speaking in a video address to the public, Ghalibaf said he felt it necessary to update the Iranian people on the latest developments across four fronts: military, diplomacy, public service and the streets.

Rebuilding and strengthening of military capability proceeding well

Ghalibaf said that, contrary to enemy claims, Iran's armed forces are, thank God, proceeding well with rebuilding and strengthening their military capabilities — both in restoring equipment and in offensive and defensive operations. He said this is possible because Iran relies on domestic technology developed by the country's own young people, rather than depending on outside help.

He said the public witnessed how, in each successive round of the recent conflicts — particularly the last three wars — Iran's forces performed better, more precisely and more effectively than in the round before, adding that both the Iranian people and the world took note of this.

Ghalibaf said Iran's armed forces have made a significant leap in performance based on lessons learned across multiple rounds of conflict. "In roughly the past 15 months, during which we were engaged in two wars, we have made about a decade's worth of progress," he said. "This isn't an exaggeration — it is thanks to the valor and blessing of the blood of our martyrs, particularly the martyred Imam [Khamenei]."

He said the strikes carried out against US bases in various locations and countries after the ceasefire and the implementation of the memorandum carried strategic significance, convincing the enemy that it could no longer stop Iran's missiles and missile firepower.

"We control the battlefield"

Ghalibaf said the enemy claimed dozens of times to have destroyed 90%, 80% or 70% of Iran's missiles, yet each time faced an even stronger response to every action it took. He said this shows the enemy does not have the upper hand, and that Iran controls the battlefield — which is why Iran's operations, and in some cases its responses to enemy operations, have been highly effective.

Warning to enemies: We have grown more dominant

Addressing the public, Ghalibaf said he wanted to send a message — both to the Iranian people and as a warning to Iran's enemies — that in any future round, Iran will be more dominant both qualitatively and quantitatively, in precision, in strikes and in planning. He said the enemy's defensive capabilities, both radar and missile-based, were far more vulnerable during the Ramadan war, while Iran's responses were more effective.

He said that whatever opportunity is given to Iran's armed forces, they use it to strengthen their military capability even faster, without losing a single moment — let alone weeks or months. "To be fair, our armed forces have not lost a single moment, and God willing, they never will," he said.

He said the armed forces have advanced their rebuilding efforts to the point that Iran has now rebuilt itself faster than the enemy has. He said the enemy is working to replace its missiles and rebuild its defense and production capacity, despite having far greater industrial power and budget than Iran — yet, he said, the challenges the enemy faces are visible in its own media and statements.

He added that during this period of apparent calm on the battlefield, Iran's factories, young people and various sectors are never at rest — everyone is working and preparing themselves so that, should anything happen, they can respond with even greater strength.

"I bow my head before the armed forces"

Ghalibaf said he considers it his duty to express gratitude to all of Iran's armed forces — from top commanders across the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Army, the Navy and the Aerospace Force, down to the soldiers and personnel standing in various locations enduring intense heat and humidity. "I truly bow my head before this sincere effort," he said.

He said the armed forces, under difficult conditions — stationed by their launchers and missile installations, on the waves, in the hot southern climate, in the blue waters of the Persian Gulf, and far from their families — have, through their efforts, created the security, dignity and pride Iran now enjoys.

He said that when he hears some media commentators' analyses, given what he knows of the sacrifices made by commanders and forces — particularly senior commanders with whom he regularly consults — he can only feel sorrow over the injustice done to them. He said these forces have taken to heart the words of Iran's great Imam [Khomeini]: "Work done for God knows neither fatigue nor despair," and that such commentary has no effect on their morale.

"Our forces fully control the strait"

On the latest developments in the Strait of Hormuz, Ghalibaf said Iran is engaged in a full-scale, complex military conflict with a powerful enemy. He said that while the enemy has occasionally had limited success — for instance, getting a few ships through — the key point is that Iran's military fully controls the strait and does not allow it to open. He said Iran's forces respond with authority and precision to any enemy movement and do not allow passage through the strait.

He said that in recent clashes, the enemy — frustrated by Iran's exercise of power over the strait — attempted to strike Iranian forces, killing two Iranian service members and severely wounding two others. He said Iran delivered a crushing response within hours, with Iranian missiles striking back.

"The enemy has nothing but lies in its own media"

Ghalibaf said the Iranian people should know that the enemy's media does nothing but lie. He said some Western analysts have themselves asked: if you control the strait, why do you need to repeat that claim every day? He said if that repetition reflects the truth, there would be no need for concern — the fact that the enemy keeps repeating it shows it knows the strait is not under its control, a fact also confirmed by international tracking systems, satellite imagery and shipping traffic data.

He said if the enemy truly controlled the strait, there would be no need to attack Iranian islands. He said Iran is the one that controls and dominates the Strait of Hormuz, while the enemy, in a defensive posture, tries at night — like thieves or smugglers — to get a handful of ships through, only to be confronted by Iranian forces every night.

Ghalibaf said that ultimately, Iran delivers the final blow and has established its authority over the strait. He said the enemy falsely reassures ships that they can pass safely through the southern route, but no such safety exists, and vessels attempting passage come under attack.

He acknowledged that in a small number of cases, perhaps one, two or three ships may get through, but noted that the strait normally saw around 120 vessels pass through per day — so even a couple of ships slipping through some nights shows that Iran remains in control of the strait.

He reiterated that Iran, not the enemy, strikes their bases, and Iran, not the enemy, controls the strait. He said the enemy is trying, in violation of the agreement and memorandum, to pass through the strait via the southern route, and Iran has never allowed, and will never allow, that to happen.

"The powerful lever of the Strait of Hormuz has not been abandoned, and won't be"

Ghalibaf said the world's material superpowers have lost the ability to respond in kind — that is, to pass through the strait — against Iran's own people. He said the powerful lever of the Strait of Hormuz has not been, and will not be, abandoned, and that Iran's objective of maintaining control over the strait remains in effect and will continue, God willing.

Good progress made on diplomacy

Ghalibaf said that alongside the exercise of military power, good progress has also been made on the diplomatic front — particularly the recent agreement with Oman, a key coastal state along the strait. He said that under international law and the memorandum, the Strait of Hormuz must be managed by its coastal states — in this case, Oman and Iran — and that this agreement has now been reached, with management and control resting with Iran, which also serves as its guarantor.

Summing up, Ghalibaf said Iran has both maintained and enhanced its military strength in the strait, and has established new rules of management there. He stressed that Iran's management of the Strait of Hormuz is in no way inconsistent with international law — that it is Iran's right to deny the US any role there, and to deny any country other than the strait's two coastal states any involvement. He said this arrangement is based on Article 5 of the memorandum, an agreement reached between Iran and Oman.

On the public-service front

Turning to the public-service front, Ghalibaf said Iran must act against the economic war it faces, noting that economic warfare is nothing new for Iran, which has endured this injustice for years.

He said intelligence — both open and covert — shows that after failing on the military and diplomatic fronts, the enemy has added economic and cognitive warfare to its military campaign, meaning Iran now faces a hybrid war: the naval blockade constitutes military warfare, while economic war remains the enemy's central axis, compounded by a complex psychological-operations campaign.

Enemy's goal with hybrid war is to create unrest inside the country

Ghalibaf said the enemy's goal with this hybrid war is to foment unrest and chaos inside Iran. He said this is the enemy's malicious intent, and that alongside it, the enemy may also seek to incorporate assassination as a tactic, and could carry out further short, limited military strikes aimed at weakening Iran or forcing its surrender in diplomatic negotiations — something he said will never happen, since officials at every level understand this plan clearly.

"We must never play on the enemy's turf"

Ghalibaf stressed that everyone — the public, officials and managers at every level — must remain vigilant and aware, and must never, under any circumstances, play on the enemy's turf or allow themselves to be drawn onto it. He said this is critically important, since a simple mistake or minor incident can sometimes escalate into a major crisis. He said the Iranian people have consistently shown themselves to be at the forefront in every arena, never allowing the enemy to exploit them. He said Iran has taken this opportunity away from the enemy, which is significant, since it represents one of the last remaining steps the enemy hoped to take.

He said that since the enemy failed on the military and diplomatic fronts, it will, God willing, also fail in the economic and hybrid war. He said that with proper planning, public support and divine grace, Iran will get through this difficult conflict.

Ghalibaf said the enemy is currently focused mainly on the psychological dimension of the economic war, since it may have already exhausted most available sanctions. He noted that the US Treasury secretary recently held a press conference after extensive advance hype, only to, as the saying goes, deliver a mountain that gave birth to a mouse — repeating the same points made before. He said a naval blockade is unquestionably recognized as a military act under international law, and that Iran will respond to it appropriately, adding that he would elaborate on this at a later time.

"Naval blockade is among the worst forms of military war, and we will respond militarily"

Ghalibaf stressed that if the enemy seeks to intensify the blockade, Iran will not wait and will take whatever action is necessary. He said Iran will respond militarily to the naval blockade, since a blockade is itself among the worst forms of military warfare and constitutes a military act.

He recalled that during the 40-day war, he had said that if the enemy's intent is to prevent Iran from exporting oil through the Persian Gulf, then no one will be able to export oil from the Persian Gulf at all. He said this has been, is, and will remain Iran's position, and that the enemy will pay the price for this military blockade — a cost, he said, the Americans will feel in full.

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