New Delhi, July 14 -- Tensions between Iran and the United States escalated further on Tuesday as both sides hardened their positions over the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran insisting the strategic waterway would not be reopened through "war and aggression" while Washington pressed ahead with military operations and plans to oversee commercial shipping through the strait.

Iran's Army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami-Nia warned that the Strait of Hormuz "will never be reopened through war, hostility, or acts of aggression by the United States", Iranian media Press TV reported.

Addressing a public gathering on Monday, Akrami-Nia accused Washington of violating international law and urged US President Donald Trump to respect t...