Iran to earn twice as much from controlling Hormuz Strait as from exporting oil — army

TEHRAN, May 13. /TASS/. The economic gains that Tehran will bring in from controlling the Strait of Hormuz are expected to be double its oil export revenues, Iranian Army Spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said. "The western part of the waterway is currently controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, while the army’s naval forces control the eastern part. Our control of the Strait of Hormuz will not only yield great economic revenues for our country - twice its oil revenues - but will also strengthen our foreign policy stand," the ISNA news agency quoted him as saying. Akraminia pointed out that Iran’s naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz would prevent the US from restoring military facilities at its bases in the Gulf countries. According to the Iranian army spokesperson, Washington will soon completely lose its positions in the Middle East. The United States and Israel started a war against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Iran’s authorities also decided to close the Strait of Hormuze to ships associated with the US, Israel and the countries that supported aggression against Tehran.