Iran warns of wider response at sea
Ebrahim Zolfaqari says any port attack would trigger regional escalation
Iran’s military warned that any attack on its ports would prompt a wider regional response, saying no port in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman would remain safe if Iranian ports were threatened. Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari stressed that maritime security in the two waterways must apply equally to all parties and framed defense of national rights, including sovereignty over territorial waters, as lawful and ongoing. He said enemy‑affiliated vessels would be barred from the Strait of Hormuz while other ships could transit only under Iranian regulations, and announced plans for a permanent mechanism to control the strait after the current crisis.
Zolfaqari condemned U.S. restrictions on maritime transit as illegal “acts of piracy,” following President Donald Trump’s declaration that the U.S. Navy would enforce a blockade of the strait.
Iran’s navy dismissed the blockade threat as “ridiculous,” saying it is tracking U.S. fleet movements. Tehran has already limited passage since the start of the conflict, permitting vessels from friendly states but barring those tied to countries it labels aggressors, and parliament is advancing measures to levy transit fees in rial and explicitly ban U.S. and Israeli ships.
