Iran vows US ships barred from Gulf 'under any circumstances'

Iran's armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi declared on Saturday that US military vessels would never be permitted to enter the Persian Gulf "under any circumstances," warning that President Donald Trump will "take that dream to his grave" as tensions mount over the two-month war. The statement came after US ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack warned that Washington could "absolutely" strike Iran as soon as this weekend, according to Iranian state television.

"We will not allow US military ships in the Persian Gulf under any circumstances and at any time," Abdollahi told state television. He added that the US president harbors ambitions of seeing American armed forces enter the strategic waterway: "The US president must dream of seeing the armed forces enter the Persian Gulf. He will take that dream to his grave."

Hormuz blockade intensifies

Iranian forces have restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the war with the United States began on February 28, requiring vessels to seek permission for transit while repeatedly targeting ships attempting to pass via a southern route near the Omani coast. In response, Washington has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports and ships, tightening economic pressure as both sides exchange threats.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Friday that two supertankers carrying more than 4.5 million barrels of crude oil were abandoned at sea after striking mines in the waterway. "Their engine rooms were disabled by an explosion and a fierce fire," the Guards said in a statement carried by their Sepah News website, referring to vessels attempting what Tehran considers an "illegal" southern transit. Around one-fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments typically pass through Hormuz during peacetime, making the blockade a critical threat to global energy supplies.