Iran warns Gulf of Oman could become 'graveyard' for US ships

Iran threatened to confront the United States over what it described as a naval blockade, with a top military adviser to the country’s Supreme Leader warning that the Gulf of Oman could become a “graveyard” for US ships if tensions continue to escalate.

“My advice to the US militarily is to back off before the Gulf of Oman turns into a graveyard for your ships. Otherwise, our understanding is that a naval blockade is an act of war, and responding to it is our natural right,” Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, said on Sunday, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu.

Rezaei added that Iran’s restraint should not be seen as acceptance of pressure or threats.

“If we’ve been patient until now, it doesn’t mean we have accepted it,” he said.

He also questioned the justification for the continued US military presence in the Gulf, arguing that Washington no longer has the reasons it once used to maintain its role in the region.

“America comes here and brings its warships. Who is its enemy? At one time, they said they came to confront the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union no longer exists,” he said.

Rezaei stated that the Strait of Hormuz has always remained open to commercial trade, while what Iran rejects is foreign military activity.

“The Strait of Hormuz is open to trade, but it will be closed to military buildups and any attempts to destabilize security,” he said.

Regional tensions have escalated since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, which prompted retaliatory attacks by Tehran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire came into effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, although talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a specified deadline.

Since April 13, the United States has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev