The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on Saturday, claimed it maintained full control over the Strait of Hormuz. It also warned that it would not allow US military vessels to enter the Persian Gulf, as President Donald Trump threatened to launch "another little Epic Fury" against Tehran if it failed to reach an agreement.
Chief of the General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Major General Ali Abdollahi, said Iranian forces had rendered the US Navy ineffective in the region, challenging Washington's assertions that Iran's military capabilities had been significantly weakened.
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"The US president must only dream of their military and army entering the Persian Gulf again. They will take this wish to their graves," Abdollahi said, according to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV.
"We will under no circumstances and at no time allow US military vessels to enter the Persian Gulf," he added.
The remarks came as US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack said a US strike on Iran could take place over the weekend, although he maintained that Trump remained open to a diplomatic agreement.
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"Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Barrack said during an interview with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal on Friday.
Barrack said diplomatic efforts involving regional countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, were underway. He identified the Strait of Hormuz, uranium enrichment, sanctions relief, the unfreezing of Iranian assets and security commitments towards Israel as among the issues under discussion.
Trump appeared to distance himself from the ambassador's remarks when asked about the possibility of an imminent strike after arriving in Florida.
"That was my ambassador? He's a pretty powerful man, I guess. If that's the case, I don't know anything about it," Trump said.
Later, addressing an election rally in Florida, Trump warned that Washington could launch "another little Epic Fury" against Iran if Tehran failed to reach an agreement.
Iran claims tankers hit naval mines
Separately, IRGC Navy claimed that two supertankers carrying more than 4.5 million barrels of crude oil combined had struck naval mines while attempting to navigate what Tehran described as an unauthorised southern route through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a statement by the IRGC Navy's Public Relations Office, reported by Iranian state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), explosions and severe fires in the vessels' engine rooms disabled the tankers and forced their crews to abandon the ships.
The claims could not be independently verified, and no immediate confirmation from the vessels' operators or independent sources was available.
Iran has maintained restrictions on maritime traffic through the strategic waterway and warned that vessels attempting to transit without coordinating with Iranian authorities could face serious consequences.
Abdollahi also challenged Trump's repeated assertions that Iran's nuclear facilities had been destroyed, questioning why Washington continued to raise concerns about Tehran's nuclear programme if the facilities had already been eliminated.
"If you have destroyed everything, then what is the meaning of repeating this delusion?" Abdollahi said, alleging that the US statements were intended to mislead public opinion.
US says Gulf oil exports surpass pre-conflict levels
Amid the competing claims over maritime security, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that oil exports from the Persian Gulf had surpassed pre-conflict levels despite Iran's attempts to disrupt shipping.
In a post on X, Bessent said, "Despite Iran’s efforts to disrupt energy shipments, oil exports from the Persian Gulf are roaring back and have surpassed pre-conflict levels."
"The message is clear: Iran’s threats have failed to stop the flow of energy to global markets," he added.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for global energy supplies, and any disruption to shipping through the waterway carries implications for international trade and oil markets. The latest statements from Tehran and Washington underscore continued uncertainty over maritime security, military escalation and the prospects for a diplomatic agreement.