DUBAI, March 12 (Reuters) - Ships must coordinate with Iran's navy to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the country's foreign ministry spokesperson said in comments carried by Mehr news agency on Thursday.
Iran will fight on and keep the Strait of Hormuz shut as leverage against the United States and Israel, new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday in defiant first comments attributed to him since he succeeded his slain father.
"The security of the Strait of Hormuz is of vital importance to Iran, because the country’s security is tied to the security of the region. With the longest coastlines on the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, Iran has always borne costs to protect this strategic waterway," said Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson.
Khamenei also called on Iran's neighbours to shut U.S. bases on their territory and warned that Iran would continue to target them.
"The insecurity created in the region by the United States and the Zionist regime can affect the movement of ships. However, Iran does not want this strait to become insecure, and ships must coordinate with the Iranian navy when passing through so that maritime security is maintained," Baghaei added.
The prospect that one of the most severe disruptions ever to hit global energy supplies could drag on sent oil prices surging back above $100 a barrel, after falling earlier in the week on hopes of a swift end to the conflict.
(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Jan Harvey and Deepa Babington)
