Iran’s military adviser Mojtaba Khamenei warned that Tehran would target US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz if Washington enforces a blockade. Mohsen Rezaei emphasized Iran’s capability to sink US ships and mentioned the potential for hostage-taking if the US invades Iran.
A military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned on Wednesday that Tehran would target and sink US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz if Washington attempts to “police” the strategic waterway. This comes as the US moves to enforce a military blockade in the Strait.
‘We would take thousands of hostages’
“Mr Trump wants to become the police of the Strait of Hormuz. Is this really your job? Is this the job of a powerful army like the US?” Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who was named as a military adviser by Khamenei last month, told state TV, as reported by AFP.
Long regarded as a hardliner even within the Revolutionary Guards, Rezaei headed the Revolutionary Guards from 1981 to 1997.
“These ships of yours will be sunk by our first missiles and have created a great danger for the US military. They can definitely be exposed to our missiles and we can destroy them,” Rezaei noted.
Rezaei also said that it would be “great” if the United States launched a ground invasion of Iran as “we would take thousands of hostages and then for each hostage we would get a billion dollars.”
He also added, without giving further details: “I am not in favour of extending the ceasefire at all and this is a personal view.”
Tensions between Iran and the US remain particularly high over Hormuz, a critical waterway for oil and gas that’s been effectively shuttered since the start of the war almost seven weeks ago. The US has set up a naval blockade to cut off Iranian shipments, and said Wednesday that 10 vessels have been forced to turn around. Tehran is keeping the strait closed to most other traffic.
The standoff has reduced transit to a trickle, exacerbating an energy supply crisis that threatens a major blow to the world economy.
Fighting between the US and Iran has been on hold since about April 8, shortly after a two-week ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump the previous evening. An initial round of peace talks was held in Pakistan last weekend, though participants including US Vice President JD Vance departed without a deal.
(With inputs from agencies)
