Larijani: Hormuz will be 'strait of peace' or 'strait of defeat for warmongers'

Iranian Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani issued his second major public statement of Day 11, declaring that the Strait of Hormuz 'will either be a strait of peace and prosperity for all or a strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers.' The statement is Iran's clearest Hormuz ultimatum yet — framing the choice as binary: end the war and Hormuz reopens, or the war continues and Hormuz becomes a military defeat zone for the coalition. Larijani's framing positions Iran as offering peace but not backing down. The Strait has been effectively closed since Day 1, with vessels in the area struck by Iranian attacks following the US-Israeli opening strikes. Tehran has consistently threatened to formally blockade the strait if strikes continue. The 'strait of defeat for warmongers' formulation is designed to appeal both to international audiences (Iran as peacemaker) and to domestic Iranian audiences (Iran as victor in the face of aggression). Combined with his earlier post calling Trump's threats 'empty,' Larijani is positioning himself as the hardline voice of the post-Khamenei era.