IRGC warns US over encouraging ships to transit unauthorized routes in Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) threatened to strike American bases across the Middle East if the US military continues to encourage ships transit through the unauthorized routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The US military must know that if this trend continues, the conflict will extend to its bases in the region,” the IRGC said in a statement.
“This is a serious warning,” they added.
The IRGC Navy said that four vessels were hit while transferring oil cargoes between ships in the northern-central Persian Gulf, while three other vessels suffered accidents and caught fire after striking mines west of the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC said the four vessels had previously taken illegal routes despite earlier warnings to maritime companies it accused of being misled by the United States’ invading military.
The IRGC blamed the US’s “hegemonic regime” for encouraging vessels to pass through an illegal, mined passage, saying Washington’s insistence on that approach had led to a growing number of maritime incidents.
The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to respond with retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region and immediately close the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global energy supplies.
The waterway has remained closed and under the control of Iranian forces. Tehran has maintained that the strait will only be reopened if Washington meets its conditions, including lifting sanctions and ending the US naval blockade.
But the US military has been escorting vessels through the waterway in increasing numbers, with Iran responding by stepping up attacks.