Iran is determined to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, viewing it as its most important tool in what it considers an economic war against the United States. Mostafa Khoshcheshm, a professor at Tehran’s University of Applied Sciences, made the comments in an interview with Al Jazeera cited in a report published and updated on August 14, 2026.

Khoshcheshm said Iran would need to pursue asymmetric warfare tactics to defeat the United States, and described the strait as central to that economic conflict. He characterized the waterway as Tehran’s strongest bargaining tool with Washington. According to him, Iran aims to use its closure to pressure the United States into accepting conditions listed in a memorandum of understanding.

Those conditions include releasing Iranian assets that have been seized, ending Israel’s occupation in Lebanon, establishing peace in Gaza, and ending the maritime blockade. Khoshcheshm said Iran also hopes the United States will eventually “admit defeat and leave the region.” He presented Iran’s position around the Strait of Hormuz as a strategy aimed primarily at applying economic pressure to secure its demands, rather than merely creating military pressure.