As tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalate following the IRGC’s seizure of two vessels and the release of footage showing Iranian forces boarding the ships, an Al Jazeera discussion panel examined Iran’s strategy and the prospects for diplomacy.
Ali Akbar Dareini, researcher at the Centre for Strategic Studies in Tehran, told Al Jazeera Iran’s leadership is “unified”, dismissing suggestions of internal divisions as a “miscalculation”.
He said Tehran would allow “innocent passage” of ships but not vessels that threaten its national security, insisting Iran’s control of the Strait “will remain forever”.
Dareini added that maintaining control of the waterway does not contradict diplomacy and reflects a new regional security reality.
Andrea Dessi, assistant professor in international relations and global politics at the American University of Rome, told Al Jazeera Iran holds significant leverage over the Strait.
He said both US and Iranian blockades violate international law and warned prolonged disruption would worsen the impact on the global economy.
Dessi also highlighted a “deep” lack of trust between the two sides and criticised inconsistent US messaging, urging diplomacy to take place “behind closed doors, not on social media”.
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