Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has claimed that it carried out attacks against six vessels in the Gulf region, describing the action as retaliation for US strikes on Iranian oil tankers earlier on Saturday.
According to a statement carried by the IRGC’s official news outlet Sepah News, three oil tankers were targeted while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian authorities alleged that the vessels were using what they described as an “unauthorized” route.
The IRGC Navy said three additional vessels linked to the United States were targeted in other locations. The claims come amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington, with the strategically important Strait of Hormuz once again at the centre of the confrontation.
Iranian forces also issued a warning to vessels operating in and around the Gulf, urging them not to be “deceived” by the US Army or attempt to use routes that Tehran considers unauthorised. The IRGC warned that vessels making such movements could be targeted.
The latest escalation followed reports from Iranian state-run IRIB that three Iranian oil tankers had been attacked by US forces off Iran’s southern coastline.
Iran subsequently issued a warning that continued attacks on its ships or attempts to enforce a naval blockade could trigger a stronger military response against American forces in the region.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said the response could intensify if attacks on Iranian shipping continued. “If the malice and insecurity against and harassment of Iranian ships, as well as the anti-Iran naval blockade continue, the strikes by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against US military vessels in the region will become more severe than before, and there is a possibility of their expansion,” Zolfaghari said in a statement reported by Iranian media.
The developments have raised fresh concerns over maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes. Any prolonged disruption in the waterway could have wider implications for global energy markets and shipping.
The confrontation has also drawn comments from US President Donald Trump, who said the American military could target Iran’s fortified “Pickaxe Mountain” facility near the Natanz enrichment site.
“We may hit Pickaxe very soon,” Trump told reporters at the White House, referring to the underground facility that Washington claims is being used to store part of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.
Trump also sought to characterise the confrontation as limited, saying, “It’s a military conflict, but it’s very intermittent.” He added, “I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing.”
The Strait of Hormuz has remained a major flashpoint since US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28. Tehran subsequently restricted passage for vessels associated with the United States and Israel, while US forces imposed a naval blockade targeting shipping moving to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
The latest exchange of threats and reported vessel strikes marks another significant escalation in the confrontation, with the potential impact extending beyond the immediate military theatre to international shipping and oil markets.
