The naval wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels will be met with “heavy retaliation” targeting United States military installations in the region as well as what it termed “enemy ships.”
According to media reports, the statement was shared through the IRGC’s official social media platform X amid heightened tensions in and around the Strait of Hormuz following a series of reported confrontations between Iranian and US-linked forces.
The IRGC warning comes after renewed maritime friction in the strategic waterway, which Iran reportedly tightened control over on February 28 by restricting the passage of vessels linked to the United States and Israel following joint military strikes on Iranian territory.
Separately, reports indicate that the United States has imposed naval restrictions in the region, limiting the movement of Iranian-linked vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.
Iranian officials have accused US forces of targeting several oil tankers and vessels in recent days.
The IRGC Aerospace Division claimed that Iranian missiles and drones had already identified US military targets in the region as well as ships belonging to what it described as “aggressive forces.”
“We are awaiting the order to fire,” the statement reportedly added, signaling a further escalation in rhetoric amid already strained regional conditions.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints, with any disruption raising concerns over global energy supply stability and potential wider military confrontation.