Iranian Foreign Ministry Says It Will Firmly Defend National Interests in the Strait of Hormuz

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran will never allow the Strait of Hormuz to be maliciously exploited in a way that threatens Iran's security and national interests. According to Jin10, Baghaei also said at a news conference that Iran, as a coastal state, has worked with Oman to take necessary measures and establish necessary mechanisms to firmly defend its national interests and sovereignty in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the silence and disregard of the International Atomic Energy Agency will not increase Iran's trust in the agency after a construction site for a nuclear power plant in Darhoveyn in southwestern Iran was struck by the United States on July 19. According to Jin10, Baghaei said the Darhoveyn nuclear facility under construction had previously been under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and that the U.S. attack must be condemned by the international community.