IRGC commander warns US of 'hell' if Hormuz threatened

Seyed Majid Mousavi, who leads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, issued the warning early Thursday in remarks circulated by Mehr News Agency. "If you make the Strait of Hormuz insecure, we will turn the region into hell for you from across Iran," he said, vowing a fierce response to any American attempts to threaten what he called the "sacred Strait of Hormuz."

Mousavi described the statement as a direct reaction to "American audacity" in the region. The comments came as Tehran and Washington traded heavy blows across the Persian Gulf, pushing the longstanding rivalry toward open warfare.

Strikes on US Installations

Hours earlier, the IRGC announced that its units had struck 18 major US military targets at three key installations in Kuwait and Bahrain. The Guards said they hit the Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al Jaber bases in Kuwait alongside the Sheikh Isa airbase in Bahrain — facilities that serve as critical hubs for American air operations across the Middle East.

The missile attacks represent a significant escalation in Tehran's direct targeting of American military assets, expanding the conflict beyond Iran's borders into the territories of Washington's Gulf allies. Casualty figures from the strikes were not immediately available.

Strait Closure

The latest exchanges follow American strikes on southern Iran that prompted Tehran to announce the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial and military vessels. Iranian authorities have barred passage through the strategic chokepoint — a move that threatens to disrupt one-fifth of global oil shipments.

Tensions have soared since US warplanes hit targets across southern Iran, with Tehran responding by sealing the waterway and targeting American bases in neighbouring states. The IRGC has pledged further operations if Washington continues its aerial campaign against Iranian territory.