Tehran:According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Iran's Parliament, rejected a US claim that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. He argued that market pricing contradicts this assertion.

Ghalibaf's comments were made in a post on X, where he criticized what he referred to as the 'US gaslighting bureau.' He highlighted that while Washington claims Iran lacks control over the strait, the market reflects a significant premium in oil prices$35 above pre-invasion levels or $50 according to both dated and actual figures.

He sarcastically suggested that there is a 'free-dollar vending machine in Hormuz for believers,' encouraging them to 'go grab it.' The remarks come during a period of increased tension over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for global oil transport, which Iran has closed since the onset of joint US-Israeli actions against the country.