![Naval units from Iran and Russia carry out to simulation of rescue a hijacked vessel during the joint naval drills held at the Port of Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz in Hormozgan, Iran on February 19, 2026. [Iranian Army/Handout - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AA-20260219-40609060-40609051-IRAN_AND_RUSSIA_LAUNCH_JOINT_MILITARY_EXERCISE_IN_THE_STRAIT_OF_HORMUZ.jpg)
The situation in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its previous state, an Iranian military spokesman said on Wednesday, asserting Tehran’s control over maritime access as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, Anadolu reports. In remarks carried by Iran’s Mehr News Agency, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Iranian military’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said new rules governing transit through the strategic waterway have been established, stressing that passage would depend on Iran’s authorization. “The situation in the strait will not return to the past,” the spokesman said, adding that “permission for transit will be determined by us.” He added that “the fire beneath oil prices has been ignited, and its level is in our hands,” describing […]
