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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
TEHRAN, March 7 (Xinhua) — Iran said on Friday it has no plans to close the Strait of Hormuz, denying reports that the country had completely blocked the strategic waterway.
According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, a senior officer of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied media reports about the alleged closure of the Strait of Hormuz in an interview with state television.
"Some people accuse us of closing the strait, but in fact, Iran did not close this waterway," the officer said, adding that Iran would conduct shipping in the area in accordance with international navigation rules.
Iranian state television, citing a military source, said on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz remained open but warned that any ships belonging to the United States or Israel would be treated as military targets.
Also on Friday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told an international conference in New Delhi, India, that Iran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz and does not plan to do so in the near future.
"If Iran decides to close the strait, it will make an official statement," he said.
The IRGC said in a statement on Saturday that it had struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz using a drone.
The tanker, named Prima, was struck by a drone after it ignored repeated warnings from the IRGC navy about the Strait of Hormuz being unsafe and prohibited from sailing, according to a statement released by the Tasnim news agency.
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