The spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry said that ships must coordinate with the navy of Iran to cross the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by the?Mehr News Agency? on Thursday.

Mojtaba Khmenei, the new Supreme Leader who succeeded his father in office, said that Iran would continue to fight and use the Strait of Hormuz as a weapon against the United States of America and Israel.

The security of the Strait of Hormuz has a vital importance for Iran because its security is linked to that of the entire region. "With the longest coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman in Iran, we have always paid for this strategic waterway," Esmaeil baghaei, spokesperson, said.

Khamenei warned Iran's neighbors to close U.S. bases in their territories and called for them to do the same.

The insecurity that the United States, and the Zionist regime have created in the region can impact the movement of ships. Baghaei said that 'Iran doesn't want the strait to be?insecure and ships must coordinate with the Iranian Navy when passing through in order to maintain maritime security.

Oil prices rose above $100 per barrel after falling earlier this week in hopes that the conflict would be resolved quickly. (Reporting and editing by Jan Harvey, Deepa Babington, and Parisa Hafezi)

(source: Reuters)