Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy threatened a retaliatory “heavy assault” on a U.S. base and enemy ships if American forces attack Iranian oil tankers again, Iranian state television reported Saturday.
The warning came one day after the United States struck two Iranian tankers in the Persian Gulf. U.S. Central Command said it had turned back 58 commercial ships and “disabled” four vessels since imposing a blockade of Iran’s ports on April 13. The U.S. military described the two tankers as attempting to breach the blockade.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission of Iran’s parliament, delivered a separate warning aimed at Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters. “Siding with the U.S.-backed resolution will bring severe consequences. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital lifeline; do not risk closing it on yourselves FOREVER,” Azizi wrote on social media, according to the Associated Press.
Bahrain said Saturday it had arrested 41 people alleged to be part of a group affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The interior ministry said investigations confirmed the group was in contact with the Guard and collected funds intended for Iran to support its “terrorist operations.” The small island kingdom is ruled by a Sunni monarchy but has a Shiite-majority population. Rights groups have said Bahrain has used the war to crack down on dissent.
The Strait of Hormuz has been mostly closed to global energy shipping since the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28. The blockade has caused fuel-price spikes worldwide and unsettled global markets.
Britain’s defense ministry said the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon would “preposition” in the Middle East, ready to join a U.K.- and French-led security mission once a sustainable ceasefire is in place. France announced this week it was moving its aircraft carrier strike group into the Red Sea in preparation. The two countries have led talks with several dozen nations on a coalition to restore freedom of navigation in the strait, but officials stressed the mission would not begin until the maritime industry is confident ships can transit safely.
Diplomatic channels remained active. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his government had been in contact with Washington and Tehran “day and night” in an effort to extend the ceasefire and broker a peace agreement. Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow and Saudi Arabia were calling for a “sustainable, long-term agreement.” President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Moscow that Russia’s proposal to take Iran’s enriched uranium — allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor how much exists and where it is located — remained on the table. Egypt and Qatar’s foreign ministers reiterated that diplomacy is the sole path to a solution during a phone call Saturday, according to a readout.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran does not accept a deal to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Friday that Tehran was not paying attention to “deadlines,” state-run IRNA reported.
Meanwhile, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has remained unseen and unheard since the war began, fueling speculation about his condition. A top Iranian official, Mazaher Hosseini, said Friday that Khamenei was in “complete health” and would eventually appear publicly. Hosseini, who is affiliated with the office of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — killed at the war’s outset — said Mojtaba Khamenei had knee and back injuries from the opening attacks but had largely recovered.