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Iran plays down warnings on closure of Hormuz Strait

Iran Materials 3 January 2012 12:24 (UTC +04:00)

Iran on Tuesday played down warnings on closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, a vital international oil shipping route, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, dpa reported.

Last month, Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi warned that country would close the strait if oil sanctions were imposed on Iran.

During the recent 10-day naval exercise in the Persian Gulf, several Iranian commanders had reiterated the warning.

"The manoeuvre was just aimed at strengthening the security in the Persian Gulf," Mehmanparast told reporters in Tehran.

"The main message of the manoeuvre was that this security should be obtained by regional states without any foreign interference," he added.

Mehmanparast refrained from commenting on the warnings by the vice-president and the generals.

Iran has repeatedly warned that in the event of a military attack on the country, it would not hesitate in taking any necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, one of which would be to close the strategic oil passage.

It is believed that the possible closure of the waterway would have serious consequences for the world economy as it would greatly reduce crude oil, petroleum and liquefied natural gas supplies.

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