TEHRAN – A senior expert says Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor, is a “strategic success beyond imagination.”

Saeed Leilaz makes these remarks as Iran and the United States agreed on a two-week ceasefire plan on April 8 after the U.S. and Israel launched an unprovoked and illegal war on Iran on Feb. 28 with the aim of toppling the Islamic Republic system in a very short time. 

In response to the war started on Feb. 28, Iran closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz to commercial ships of the U.S. and its allies.

This is the third imposed war against Iran since the start of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The first one was imposed by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in Sept. 1980, and the second one by the U.S. and Israel in June 2025.

The two-week ceasefire, mediated by Pakistan, is intended to give time to negotiators from Iran and the U.S. to work on a 10-point plan proposed by Tehran which includes an abolition of UN sanction resolutions against Iran, a lasting deal between Iran and the U.S., a guarantee that no aggression will take place against Iran, and Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz among other things.

The U.S., which has said Iran’s 10-point plan is “workable,” has tacitly accepted Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, which connects the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf, is shared by Iran and Oman and does not fall into the category of international waters.  

Negotiators from Iran and the U.S. are going to meet in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on Saturday to work on the blueprint.  However, analysts believe that the two-week time will not be enough to find a solution. Pundits and officials in Iran and the world, especially the West, are worried that Israel may even kill the ceasefire let alone let the negotiating sides make a deal. 

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was abolished by President Donald Trump in his first presidential term in 2018, was the result of two years of intensive talks between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Germany, and the European Union.

However, Leilaz says today’s condition is somehow different from those days. 

“First, the number of negotiating partners has been largely reduced” and this facilitates the talks, Leilaz told IRNA. 

To back up his opinion, he says Europe as an economic power and political powerhouse has actually lost its significance as in has been demonstrated in the Ukraine war.  Probably, Leilaz adds, Europe’s influential role was during the time that led to the conclusion of the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Secondly, the U.S. has almost used all means to weaken and overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran during the past years.  From maximum economic pressure, which in my opinion is unprecedented in history, to efforts to cause unrest and destabilize Iran’s economic, political and social structure. It has even tested internal divisions,” Leilaz underlines. 

It is not still clear weather the talks on April 11 between Iran and the U.S. will be face-to-face or not.

“These negotiations are bilateral, and I hope that negotiations be direct because when the number of interlocutors is less, the talks will be more transparent and naturally lesser time will be needed to reach an agreement,” opines Leilaz, a graduate of history who is mostly referred to as an economic theorist.

The expert also says the U.S.-Israel aggression on Iran was preplanned and all its details were fully studied. 

“In the first days of the war incidents happened that are unprecedented in the history of the world. For example, direct attack on the political leader of the country and simultaneously targeting certain sensitive centers… are among the moves that seems have been done with calculations and full awareness. 

“They imagined that the Islamic Republic has been under pressure for years and faced serious domestic challenges and will fall down in the first hours of the war, similar to what happened in the June 1967 war between Israel and Arab states, and the fate of the war will be determined in a short time. But this scenario failed miserably.”

Leilaz, the professor of history from Shahid Beheshti University, says Iran even did not allow the aggressors to have a gain in the war of narratives. “In fact, Iran won the war of words in this conflict.”

The U.S. Central Command has announced that it has singlehandedly conducted over 13000 military operations against targets in Iran until ceasefire was announced. Israel also conducted more than 10,000 airstrikes against Iran by the American-supplied advanced fighter jets. 

“In my opinion, this strategic victory is even beyond the imagination of many observers. I myself have always been among the most optimistic analysts about Iran’s resistance and believed that that Iran resists against all kinds of pressure, but I did not imagine that this resistance be so ‘quick and resolute’. To some extent, it can also mitigate the bitter memories of the Battle of Chaldiran” and others.

 In the battle of Chaldiran in August 1514 the Ottomans defeated Iran’s Safavids. 

The wall of distrust between Iran and U.S. is high

Many analysts and politicians believe that there is a deficit of trust between Iran and the United States.

“In view of the prevailing conditions and differences, achieving an agreement between Tehran and Washington maybe easier this time in comparison to the past. However, it should be noted that two weeks is a very short time. 

“Given the great differences between the two countries, and the wall of distrust between Tehran and Washington that is too high, the talks would probably will last several weeks or even months, and during this time a kind of ceasefire would hold between the two countries,” he noted, adding the talks would probably be extended.

Iran’s control over the Strategic Strait of Hormuz through which 20 percent of the word’s oil and gas supplies pass through is “beyond imagination,” the history professor points out.
“In my view, this success for Iran is beyond imagination, a success that is greater in terms of military operations. Some imagined that closing the Strait of Hormuz is most important move, but the masterpiece of Iran’s armed forces was to bring the Strait into full control and inspection.”

Leilaz notes that the closure of the Strait is much easier than controlling it.

“Today, Iran, through its great power, has been promoted to a position that it can monitor the transit of ships through this pathway, and this was something that even many Iranian analysts did not predict.”

It is necessary to turn Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz into a region of peace and stability

However, he suggests, Iran should try to turn the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz into a “region of peace, friendship and cooperation” among littoral states.  

“In other words, the purpose should not be replacing American imperialism with an Iranian imperialism. If the countries in southern Persian Gulf have a feeling of threat they may retreat in short time, but in the long term they will lean toward foreign powers to create a kind of balance. In that situation, extra-regional forces will find a foothold in the region.”

Iran struck U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf Arab countries as these bases were used as launchpad for attacks against Iran. Unfortunately, some Arab countries, by allowing the U.S. to use these military bases against Iran, made themselves complicit in the illegal war against Iran.  

However, Iranian officials have been sending conciliatory messages to these countries. 

“Therefore,” Leilaz suggested, “the best approach for Iran to protect its power and control is to turn this region into one of cooperation and participation. We should live with our neighbors and should not repeat the mistakes that some regional countries have committed in the past.”

He believes that cooperation with Persian Gulf countries will benefit Iran.

“Those who now say it is the time for vengeance or extortion from countries on southern shores of the Persian Gulf don’t pay attention to Iran’s long-term interests. Turning the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz into a region for peace, cooperation and stability is millions of times more beneficial for Iran,” Leilaz insists. 

He said moves such as levying tolls on the ships of these countries is not advisable. “We should prove that we are the real friends of these countries.”

Lift of sanctions is possible 

On Iran’s proposal for a lift of all sanctions, including non-nuclear ones during the planned negotiations, he says, “A lifting of sanctions is surely possible, especially as the United States is not in a condition to fully impose its demands on Iran.”

He adds the removal of primary and secondary sanctions on Iran is highly important. 

“If these sanctions and limitations like those related to international financial system and SWIFT are removed, a large portion of Iran’s economic problems will be resolved.