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U.S. forces shifted their regional military command from Jordan to Israel after Iranian attacks, Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, claimed Monday.
Speaking to Iranian state television Khabar, Rezaei also alleged Iranian strikes left U.S. positions in Kuwait in ruins and prompted the evacuation of American troops from Erbil.
Rezaei argued that Washington had initially relocated its regional command from Qatar to Jordan before moving it again to Israel following precise Iranian attacks.
He further claimed the U.S. failed to achieve its military objectives during the reignited tensions, which led to a 17-day exchange of strikes after the Pakistan-mediated ceasefire collapsed, because of Iran's missile and drone operations.
Rezaei also warned that Iran would not allow any maritime corridor through the Strait of Hormuz outside what Tehran considers its designated route. "We will not allow a second corridor to be opened in the Strait of Hormuz. If naval forces are brought there for that purpose, we will target them," he said.
Iran and Oman continue negotiations over new navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei recently saying the talks had made progress.
Tehran has rejected proposals for a jointly managed or alternative corridor, insisting that maritime traffic remain under an arrangement that gives Iran greater control over transit through the strategic waterway.
Rezaei also disclosed that Iran had prepared to strike three locations in Ukraine before abandoning the operation after Kyiv described an earlier attack as a mistake.
"We were ready to attack three regions of Ukraine, but after they said the attack was a mistake, we suspended our response to examine their claim. In any case, they must pay compensation for their attack," he said.
The remarks followed Iran's accusation on July 25 that Ukraine attacked an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing one sailor and injuring another.
Tehran described the strike as an act of aggression, summoned Ukraine's charge d'affaires and demanded compensation, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later conveyed the same message to his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukrainian forces had struck a Russian warship and vessels allegedly transporting Iran-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea, framing the operation as part of Kyiv's effort to disrupt military supply lines supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.
In a subsequent call with Araghchi, Sybiha said the strike on the Iranian vessel was unintentional and urged Tehran to avoid escalating tensions while ending its support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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