Tehran, April 17 -- Sustainable stability in the Strait of Hormuz can only be achieved through full respect for Iran's sovereignty and rights, Tehran's envoy to the United Nations said, according to Iranian State Media Press TV.

Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir-Saeid Iravani, made the statement during a meeting on Thursday, three days after the United States announced a "naval blockade" aimed at pressuring Iran to reopen the strategic waterway.

"The realisation of the principles of freedom of navigation and maritime safety in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman--particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, which lies within the territorial seas of its coastal States--is only possible through full respect for the ...