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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) once again rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz, warning that American vessels approaching the waterway would face a response from Iranian forces, as a commercial ship was struck and set ablaze near Qeshm Island, killing at least one person and wounding four others.
"If that is the case, go ahead, bring one of your warships within 100 kilometers," Col. Ali Mohammadi, the IRGC Navy's deputy for political affairs, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars News Agency, referring to Trump's claim.
Mohammadi claimed that U.S. forces are aware that their vessels would face a response if they approached the strait, claiming a similar incident had occurred in recent days.
He also claimed that major foreign militaries have remained beyond the Gulf of Oman for months and that no U.S. troops or military equipment are currently present in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz or the Gulf of Oman.
Mohammadi said the IRGC Navy maintains "complete" surveillance over the strait, the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, with vessels traveling from Kuwait and Bahrain monitored and subject to action if they violate rules imposed by Tehran.
He further claimed that U.S. military bases in Gulf countries had been rendered "non-operational" and said Iranian forces had conducted what he described as preemptive operations against U.S. bases, warships and vessels deemed to have violated Iran's rules.
Trump has repeatedly asserted U.S. control over the strait amid the ongoing conflict.
Earlier this month, he said U.S. forces had struck 28 Iranian boats and ships and declared, "We now control the Strait of Hormuz."
He recently again said the U.S. was "winning" the war and reiterated Washington's control of the waterway, suggesting it should be renamed the "Trump Strait."
Hours after the IRGC's remarks, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received an initial report at 2300 GMT on Saturday that a vessel had been struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the strait.
In an update Sunday, UKMTO said a fire had broken out aboard the vessel following the attack, with local authorities on scene assisting in evacuating the crew.
Qeshm city governor Amir Teymouri said a merchant vessel was struck around 5 a.m. local time off the coasts of Hengam and Qeshm islands, killing one person and injuring three others, according to Iranian state television, without specifying the origin of the strike.
Several explosions were reported overnight around Qeshm, Iran's largest island in the strait. The injury toll later rose to four, Teymouri said, according to the state-linked ISNA News Agency.
UKMTO advised vessels transiting the area to proceed with caution and report suspicious activity as authorities investigate.
The strike came a day before a scheduled meeting between Iran and Gulf states in Oman, which also borders the strait, over the blockaded route critical to global oil and gas trade.
Control over the strait has become a major flashpoint in the six-month war between Iran and the U.S.
In retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes that began the war on Feb. 28, Iran has blocked the waterway, previously freely accessible, now requiring vessels to obtain authorization to pass, citing security and sovereignty concerns, and is considering a mechanism to impose service fees, a demand Washington rejects.
Vessels that fail to comply are frequently targeted by Iranian strikes, while the U.S. sporadically strikes the Iranian coast in an effort to challenge Tehran's control of the waterway.
An Anadolu Agency (AA) team observed the wreck of the Thai-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree still resting on the shore of Qeshm Island, months after it was struck by a missile roughly 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai while sailing from the UAE to India during the war.
The grounded vessel, now unusable, has become a play area for local children who swim out to it, according to Iranian fishermen in the area, who said some children had died jumping from the ship into the shallow waters nearby and that residents now avoid approaching the wreck given the continuing danger.
Iranian authorities have not yet removed the wreck, which sits roughly 30 meters from shore and poses a security risk.
Separately, AA journalists observed commercial cargo ships anchored between Qeshm and Larak islands, unable to pass through the strait due to the threat of attack from both the U.S. and Iran, with commercial ship traffic through the strait dropping to as few as six vessels amid the standoff.
Food supplies were being delivered to some of the anchored vessels from the Iranian coast, while small boats used for smuggling continued operating despite the risk.
Iran and Oman are continuing talks on establishing a safe route for ships to transit the strait, with negotiations reportedly in their final stage.
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