TEHRAN, Iran: Iran says it can strike US warships enforcing Washington’s blockade of Iranian shipping, escalating an already widening confrontation in the Gulf.
Acting Defence Minister Brig. Gen. Majid Ibn Reza said Iranian forces had sufficient capability to target American naval vessels, according to Press TV.
The warning followed a September 5 exchange in which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships, according to U.S. Central Command.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces then struck three Iranian crude-oil carriers. One vessel was near Kharg Island, another near Jask, and a third was in the Gulf of Oman.
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The U.S. military said two tankers were permanently disabled and a third unladen vessel was destroyed. Iran later said its forces had targeted ships it accused of violating restrictions around Iranian waters.
Iranian officials also signalled a possible broader response. A member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee warned that U.S. warships and bases would face retaliation.
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Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf separately warned that U.S. and regional energy infrastructure around the Gulf could become targets. Tehran has also signalled additional restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz.
As of September 7, CENTCOM said it had redirected 94 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two while enforcing the blockade.
