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Iran's IRGC Threatens "Heavy Assault" on US Targets
(MENAFN) Iran's elite military force escalated its confrontational rhetoric Saturday, issuing a stark warning that any hostile move against Iranian commercial or oil vessels would be met with devastating force targeting American installations and warships across the region.
"Warning! Any aggression against Iranian oil tankers and commercial vessels will be met with a heavy attack against one of the American centers in the region and enemy ships," said the IRGC Navy command, according to an Iranian news agency.
Reinforcing the threat, IRGC Aerospace Force commander Majid Mousavi declared that the force's entire missile and drone arsenal is "locked onto the enemy" and standing by for launch orders — a signal widely interpreted as a direct message to Washington and its regional allies.
The bellicose warnings come as Britain moves to bolster its naval footprint in the area. The UK Defense Ministry confirmed earlier Saturday that the HMS Dragon — a Type 45 destroyer previously deployed in the eastern Mediterranean near Cyprus — will reposition to the Middle East to prepare for a potential joint maritime protection mission through the Strait of Hormuz, co-led by the UK and France, multiple UK news outlets reported, citing the ministry spokesman.
The current standoff stems from US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, which set off a fierce chain of Iranian retaliation against Israel and US Gulf allies, ultimately triggering the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's most critical energy transit corridors.
A ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation took hold on April 8, though subsequent negotiations in Islamabad broke down without securing a durable accord. US President Donald Trump subsequently extended the truce without a fixed expiration, opening a diplomatic window for a permanent resolution to the conflict.
Since April 13, the US has enforced a sweeping naval blockade against Iranian maritime traffic through the waterway. Trump announced Tuesday that American forces would temporarily suspend "Project Freedom" — the operation aimed at restoring commercial shipping access through the channel — while affirming the blockade would remain "in full force and effect."
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