Iran Vows to Block US Ships from Persian Gulf

Iran's armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi declared on October 24 that United States military ships will not be permitted to enter the Persian Gulf under any circumstances. Abdollahi challenged claims by President Donald Trump that American strikes destroyed Iranian nuclear facilities, questioning why US warships would not approach the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian capabilities were truly eliminated.

These tensions follow warnings from US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack that Washington could strike Iran as early as the coming weekend. The two nations have been in a state of war since February 28, during which Iranian forces restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz by requiring transit permissions. In response, the United States implemented a counterblockade on Iranian ports and ships.

Adding to the maritime instability, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that two supertankers carrying more than 4.5 million barrels of crude oil were abandoned at sea after hitting mines in the waterway. Tehran maintains that the transit route is illegal.