IRGC Commander Issues Warning
A senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has threatened to sink US warships if they approach the Strait of Hormuz, according to remarks carried by Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
Rear Admiral Ali Azmaei said Iranian forces were waiting for American warships to approach the entrance to the strait. He claimed US vessels were keeping their distance and said an American aircraft carrier had moved about 700 kilometres from the waterway. Those statements were the commander’s claims and were not independently verified in the report.
Dispute Over Navigation
Azmaei also asserted that the IRGC Navy controlled the Strait of Hormuz and issued permits for vessels travelling to and from Iran. Tehran has warned ships against using routes it considers unauthorised.
Washington, meanwhile, has maintained that freedom of navigation must be protected. The competing positions have heightened tensions in one of the world’s most important maritime corridors, particularly after a series of reported attacks on commercial vessels.
The threat underscores the risk of further confrontation at sea. Any incident involving military ships could deepen the dispute and disrupt shipping through the strait.
