Iran lawmaker: Closing Strait of Hormuz legal

Iranian Navy boats take part in exercises in the Strait of Hormuz off southern Iran, Jan. 3, 2012. / EBRAHIM NOROOZI/AFP/Getty Images

TEHRAN, Iran — A senior Iranian lawmaker said his country has the right to shutter the strategic Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for oil sanctions on Tehran.

The remarks by Heshmatollah Falahapisheh came as EU nations on Monday agreed in Brussels on an oil embargo against Iran as part of sanctions over the country's controversial nuclear program.

EU slaps Iran with oil embargo over nukes

The measure includes an immediate embargo on new contracts for Iranian crude oil and petroleum products while existing ones are allowed to run until July.

Falahapisheh was quoted by the semiofficial Mehr news agency as saying that a closure of the strait — the passageway for one fifth of the world's oil supply — is an increasing possibility.

Iran has warned repeatedly it would choke off the strait if sanctions affect its oil sales.

[venusvegasvada]

Well Aquavelvajan can do anything once. I hope they enjoy the temporary closure. Best they could do is probably drop some mines.

Once those are cleared and the ships that dropped them are removed then what? The straight will remain open.

You know the Iranians wish they had the nuke right now so they could threaten us with it. It's exactly this kind of behavior that necessitates them NOT having a nuke in the first place. Let's see if this spurs them to accelerate their nuke program and tip their hand. Hopefully not though. I'd like to see them abandon it and show some sanity, but Iran's leadership is not known for that.

[WildBill935]

The Senior Iranian Lawmaker is a paid moron of the Mullahs. There is no establishment in ant International court or document saying that the strait lies in anything but International waters. If they think they should, let them livewith the international consequences just like Iraq did, let the games begin!

[Poule_doux]

Might makes right, so, uhhh, no you can't.

[mjlewis6]

So then, China buys most, if not all, of the Iranian output while Iran BLUSTERS about closing the Strait of Hormuz.

This will allow Iran to justify 'NOW WORKING ON A NUCLEAR WEAPON' due to the economic attack of the West on Iran.

Watch Iran slowly introduce this theme into the media despite it being the very rationale for the consequences of seeking nuclear weapons.