Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Tuesday that Tehran would “determine the end of the war” and threatened to halt oil exports from the region if military strikes by the United States and Israel continue.
According to Iran’s state media, an IRGC spokesperson said the country would not allow “one litre of oil” to be exported from the region should attacks persist.
“We will determine the end of the war,” the spokesperson said, adding that Iran would not allow “one litre of oil” to leave the region if the strikes by the United States and Israel continue.
The warning comes amid mounting tensions in the Gulf, where energy markets and shipping routes have been rattled by the expanding conflict.
The statement followed comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting the war could soon come to an end. In a phone interview with CBS News, Trump said US operations against Iran had already inflicted severe damage on its military capabilities.
“I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” Trump said. “[Iran has] no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force.”
He added that US forces were progressing faster than initially expected.
“We’re very far ahead of schedule.”
Trump has also warned Tehran against disrupting oil shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global crude supplies.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” Trump said in a social media post.
The Iranian warning coincides with a political show of support by hardliners for the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been named to succeed his father amid the escalating conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes — has become a focal point of the confrontation, with fears that any disruption could send shockwaves through global energy markets.
