Diplomat: Iran Won't Block Strait

WSJ.com — Iran has no intention of blockading the Strait of Hormuz, the sea route through which about a fifth of the world's oil is shipped, a senior Iranian diplomat said Friday, downplaying threats by others in Tehran.

The diplomat spoke just before Iranian state media said Saturday the Revolutionary Guard was starting a month of planned maneuvers near the Strait. Mr. Ahani said Iran's military exercises in the area are to "guarantee the security of this strait."

The remarks by Ali Ahani, Iran's ambassador to France, are in contrast with threats to close the Strait over the past six weeks that have come from legislators and some members of the country's Revolutionary Guard. Mr. Ahani's remarks suggest the country's highest authorities are not backing these threats, which could dampen oil prices that have recently risen on fears of supply disruptions.

Mr. Ahani said "we don't have the intention to close the Strait of Hormuz...That's our official position."

He added "our interest demands the free circulation of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz."

Threats to close the Strait, just 34 miles wide at its narrowest point, came after the U.S. and its allies turned up the heat on Iran to provide more information on its nuclear program, which it says is peaceful. Western nations have boosted their naval presence in the area, led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

Mr. Ahani said Iran will continue cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency and could still reach an understanding over its nuclear program.

But Mr. Ahani blamed the failure to put an end to the nuclear spat on U.S. interference.

He said, "We will continue our cooperation with the agency."

He was speaking after Iran denied United Nations inspectors access last week to a site that Iran says is a military site with no connection to its nuclear program.

Iran and the West have been at loggerheads since an IAEA report in November alleged Tehran was taking steps to develop nuclear weapons—a claim Tehran denies.

Mr. Ahani, a seasoned diplomat, who until December was the country's deputy foreign affairs minister in charge of Europe and America, said that Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei had used "'haram,' a very strong word" to describe a prohibition of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

"No parliament, no government can change that," he said. "We can"t touch it."

To be successful, the group of six major powers negotiating with Iran on the issue have to accept Iran's access to peaceful nuclear technologies under the supervision of the agency and a nuclear enrichment program, the diplomat said.

"If they take these points on board, I am very optimistic" an agreement can be reached, he said.

As for Iran, it "is ready to provide assurances" that its nuclear program will remain civilian, Mr. Ahani added.

But he blamed Western political motives for not reaching an understanding on the issue until now.

"We haven't reached a compromise because there is no political will to close this file," he said, referring to Western countries. "We have solid information proving political pressure has played out in [the November] report."

Mr. Ahani's reassurances on the Strait of Hormuz also came with warnings Islamic groups would retaliate against any Israeli military strike on Iran and that an escalation of sanctions could inflame tensions in the Gulf. Asked how Iran would respond if attacked by Israel, the diplomat said "I don't think the Zionist regime will go in this direction of madness. This could accelerate their collapse."

Mr. Ahani also said sanctions against Iran, far from being a way to avoid a military strike, "will aggravate tensions in the region." Saudi Arabia has pledged to make up for any shortage that could arise from a planned European boycott of Iranian oil.

"There is political pressure on Arab states in this direction" of helping sanctions' efforts by increasing production, Mr. Ahani said. But helping the embargo would be against Saudi Arabia's long-term interest, he said.

"The implications of these sanctions can have terrible effects of the price of oil" by creating volatility in the oil price. He said an escalation of U.S. sanctions could also contribute to further tensions.

The Senate Banking Committee passed a bill Thursday that could lead to new sanctions and would complicate international dealings with Iran's central bank.

The U.S. "could cross red lines," the diplomat said. "If they continue, they will have to assume their responsibilities."

Write to Benoit Faucon at [email protected]