Azerbaijan, Baku, July 16/Trend M. Moezzi/
A top Iranian naval commander dismissed the United States' plans for keeping the globally important Strait of Hormuz open.
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayari told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that the region's security is established under the authority of the Islamic Republic.
The admiral said the country that controls the region can do whatever it wants.
Hit with international sanctions against its oil industry, Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz or disrupt the waterway's traffic. Such a move would deeply shake the world's oil markets and drive regional tensions to the breaking point.
Nearly 20 percent of the world's crude oil was supplied through the Strait of Hormuz last year, making the waterway one of the world's most important. At its narrowest, the Strait of Hormuz is just 33 kilometers wide.
This summer, the U.S. has beefed up its military presence in the Persian Gulf in preparation for any possible action on Iran's part.
