Tehran warns US ships of further attacks following Gulf incidents

Tehran, September 6 – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy issued a stark warning on Saturday after a series of naval incidents in the Persian Gulf. The force said it had targeted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and three additional vessels it said were affiliated with the United States.

In a statement circulated on the Sepah News website, the IRGC claimed the tankers were travelling on routes it deemed “unauthorised” and therefore subject to engagement. It urged every ship operating near the Gulf and Hormuz to avoid any perceived cooperation with US forces, stressing that any vessel attempting to use prohibited pathways could be shot at.

The warning followed a report from Iran’s state news agency that US forces had attacked three Iranian‑flagged tankers off the southern coast earlier that day. IRGC Central Command spokesman Ibrahim Jolfghari told Iranian media that further US aggression – including continued attacks on Iranian ships or the maintenance of a maritime blockade – would likely provoke “even harsher strikes” on US naval assets in the area.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House, suggested that an American strike on the Pickax Mountain facility – a heavily guarded underground site near Natanz – could be imminent. He down‑played the tension, labeling the unfolding events as “a very small thing” and describing them as a limited military confrontation rather than an outright war.

The latest flare‑up builds on a pattern of reciprocal restrictions that began in February, when Tehran barred ships associated with the United States or Israel from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The United States, in turn, has expanded its maritime interdiction campaign, targeting vessels that enter or leave Iranian ports and coastal waters.