Iran warns it may halt Persian Gulf oil exports
Trump warns of stronger U.S. strikes
Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said that Tehran would not allow "one litre of oil" to be shipped from the Middle East if U.S. and Israeli attacks continue. "Commander Ali Mohammad Naini stressed that Iran’s armed forces will not allow the export of even one litre of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice, and said: Why don’t you tell the American people the truth, that all U.S. military infrastructure in the Persian Gulf region has been destroyed?"
This prompted a warning from President Donald Trump that the U.S. would hit Iran much harder if it blocked exports from the vital energy-producing region.
Trump's comments came after global financial markets sawawed on concerns that Iran's security establishment was rallying behind new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and was not prepared to back down any time soon.
He warned that U.S. attacks could rise sharply if Iran sought to block tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
The war has already effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, leaving tankers unable to sail for more than a week and forcing producers to halt pumping as storage facilities fill.
