Iran adviser Mohsen Rezaei, known for his hardline stance, further said that he personally opposed extending the ceasefire.
The military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Wednesday warned that Tehran could attack US ships in the Strait of Hormuz if Washington continues to “police” the key shipping bottleneck.
Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who was named as a military adviser to Khamenei, said on state television that any attempt by the United States to “police” the vital shipping route would provoke a strong response.
“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?” he said as quoted by news agency AFP.
“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 said, adding that US forces in the area would be exposed to Iranian attacks.
Rezaei, known for his hardline stance, further said that he personally opposed extending the ceasefire. He further warned that any US ground invasion would backfire, claiming Iran could capture hostages in such a scenario.
Earlier, Khamenei said that Iran would move the management of the Strait of Hormuz into a “new phase” and demanded compensation for all losses, stressing that the country would not relinquish its rights while viewing the broader “Resistance Front” as a unified force.
In a statement read out on state TV, the Supreme Leader said, “Iran will seek retribution for attacks on it and will take management of the Strait of Hormuz into a new phase.”
His remarks came after Washington imposed a military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world, because that’s what they’re doing,” US President Donald Trump told reporters outside the Oval Office after the blockade took effect.
