Challenge from Iran to the US in the Strait of Hormuz: 'We are waiting for them!'

Tensions have risen once again in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the centers of tension in the Middle East. Iran has responded harshly to statements from the US regarding the potential for naval escorts for commercial vessels.

Ali Mohammad Naini, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while evaluating the US statements that it would provide military protection to oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, said, "We welcome the claims that the US Navy will escort oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz; in fact, we are waiting for them."

Reminding the US of past developments, Naini stated, "We advise the Americans to remember the supertanker Bridgeton in 1987 and the tankers targeted in recent times before making any decisions."

TANKER HIT DESPITE WARNINGS

In a separate statement issued by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, it was announced that a Malta-flagged oil tanker had been targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.

The statement said, "This morning, an oil tanker named Prima was hit by a kamikaze UAV after it failed to heed numerous warnings that navigation in the Strait of Hormuz was prohibited and that the region was unsafe."

Officials also stated, "The strategic Strait of Hormuz has been under control for 8 days due to US aggression and developments in the region. For this reason, oil tankers and commercial vessels allied with enemy countries are not permitted to pass through the strait."

KEY PASSAGE FOR GLOBAL OIL TRADE

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, is considered one of the most critical transit points for global energy trade.

It is stated that approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil are transported daily through the strait, where a significant portion of global oil shipments takes place.

SIGNAL FROM WASHINGTON FOR PROTECTION OF SHIPS

US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright have stated in recent remarks that the US Navy could undertake escort duties in the region to ensure the safety of commercial vessels and oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

It is known that the US carried out a similar operation during the Iran-Iraq War. As part of "Operation Earnest Will," launched in 1987, US warships were deployed to the region to protect Kuwaiti tankers. That same year, the US-flagged supertanker Bridgeton was damaged after striking a sea mine near the Strait of Hormuz.

News Source: İHA