ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s navy said that any “aggression” against its tankers and vessels would trigger a “heavy assault” on one of the United States’ “centers in the region,” as well as on its ships, Iranian state media reported on Sunday, shortly after the US Central Command stated that a naval blockade on Iranian ports remains in effect and that its forces have redirected nearly 60 commercial vessels and disabled four ships linked to Tehran since the blockade.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that “any aggression toward Iranian oil tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy assault against one of the American centers in the region and enemy ships,” according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
The outlet added that the IRGC navy on Friday “opened fire on US military destroyers” in response to what it described as “a ceasefire violation and an aggressive act by the US military against an Iranian oil tanker near the country’s southern port of Jask.”
The incident followed the approach of US destroyers toward the Strait of Hormuz, IRNA said, adding that, during a “highly coordinated operation,” the IRGC targeted the American destroyers “using a range of anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as explosive-laden drones.”
Earlier on Saturday, CENTCOM said that “the U.S. naval blockade against Iran continues to be fully enforced,” adding that as of that day, its forces had “redirected 58 commercial vessels and disabled four” since the blockade was initiated on April 13, in order “to prevent ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports.”
The latest incident occurred on Friday, when US forces disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers - the Motor Tanker (M/T) Sea Star III and M/T Sevda - after they attempted to enter an Iranian port via the Gulf of Oman in violation of the blockade, according to CENTCOM.
The US and Israel launched a wide scale aerial campaign against Iran on February 28, striking more than 17,000 sites across the country over six weeks of hostilities before the sides agreed to a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire on April 8. The truce halted fighting for two weeks and paved the way for negotiations.
While the first round of talks concluded without a final agreement on April 11, a second round has yet to take place, with a comprehensive resolution to the conflict still pending.
In parallel with the diplomatic efforts, Iran and the US have engaged in tit-for-tat maritime measures. Tehran has tightened its grip on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington initiated a maritime blockade on Iranian ports in mid-April.