Iran warns US against entering Persian Gulf as IRGC claims 2 supertankers hit naval mines near Strait of Hormuz

As per Press TV, Chief of the General Staff of Irans Armed Forces Major General Ali Abdollahi, said Iranian forces had rendered the US Navy ineffective in the region and challenged Washingtons assertions that Irans military capabilities had been significantly weakened.

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.

We will under no circumstances and at no time allow US military vessels to enter the Persian Gulf, he added.

The commander also questioned US President Donald Trumps repeated claims that Irans nuclear facilities had been destroyed, asking why Washington continued to raise concerns about Tehrans nuclear programme if its facilities had already been eliminated.

If you have destroyed everything, then what is the meaning of repeating this delusion? Abdollahi said, alleging that such statements were intended to mislead public opinion.

The warning came as Iranian state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), citing the IRGC Navys Public Relations Office, reported that two supertankers had struck naval mines while attempting to navigate what Tehran described as an unauthorised southern route through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the IRGC Navy, the vessels suffered explosions and fires in their engine rooms, leaving them disabled. The statement claimed that the crews subsequently abandoned the ships after the situation became untenable.

The IRGC further said the two tankers were carrying a combined cargo of more than 4.5 million barrels of crude oil. The claims could not be independently verified, and no immediate confirmation from the vessels operators or other 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.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for global energy supplies, making any disruption a concern for oil markets and international shipping.

The latest developments come amid competing claims from Tehran and Washington over the impact of the conflict on regional security and energy shipments.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that oil exports from the Persian Gulf had surpassed pre-conflict levels despite Irans efforts to disrupt maritime traffic.

Despite Irans efforts to disrupt energy shipments, oil exports from the Persian Gulf are roaring back and have surpassed pre-conflict levels, Bessent said in a post on X.

The message is clear: Irans threats have failed to stop the flow of energy to global markets, he added.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack said a US strike on Iran could take place over the weekend, while maintaining that Trump remained open to a diplomatic agreement.

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, however, appeared to distance himself from the ambassadors remarks when questioned 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. (ANI)