West Asia Conflict / IRGC Navy Hits Six Vessels, Including 3 US-Linked Vessels, amid West Asia Conflict

Tehran, Sep 6: Amid mounting tensions in the Gulf, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy announced Saturday that it had struck multiple vessels — including three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and three US‑linked ships in other regions — in what it described as retaliation for American attacks on Iranian tankers earlier the same day.

According to a statement published on the IRGC’s official outlet Sepah News, the tankers struck in the strait were crossing through what Iran called an “unauthorized” route.

The navy warned that all vessels in the Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz should avoid being “deceived” by the US Army or attempting suspicious movements through unauthorized passages, cautioning that such actions would result in being targeted.

Also read: US Missiles Hit Iranian Oil Tanker near Kharg Island

Earlier, Iran’s state‑run IRIB news agency reported that three Iranian oil tankers had been attacked by the US Army off the country’s southern coasts. In response, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran’s main military command, the Khatam al‑Anbiya Central Headquarters, issued a stern warning to Washington.

“If the malice and insecurity against and harassment of Iranian ships, as well as the anti‑Iran naval blockade continue, the strikes by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against US military vessels in the region will become more severe than before, and there is a possibility of their expansion,” Zolfaghari said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump signaled possible new military action against Iran. Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump declared, “We may hit Pickaxe very soon,” referring to Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified site near Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility where Washington alleges Tehran has moved part of its highly enriched uranium stockpile.

Trump attempted to downplay the confrontation, insisting it was not a war. “It’s a military conflict, but it’s very intermittent,” he said, though he has at times described it as a “war.”

He added: “I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing. I would say that it’s intermittent. You know, we do intermittent strikes. There’s a lot of truth that we’re not fighting right now. There’s no fighting.”

The latest escalation follows US‑Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, after which Tehran restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, barring vessels linked to the United States or Israel.

In turn, US forces imposed a naval blockade targeting ships traveling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas, intensifying the standoff in one of the world’s most critical waterways.

(IANS)