Tehran warns of consequences for any threat to Iranian ports

TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Monday that any threat to Iranian ports would endanger all regional ports, raising concerns of heightened tensions in key Gulf shipping lanes.

Spokesman for the IRGC’s Khatam Al Anbiya Central Headquarters Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari said that Gulf ports would either remain secure for all or for no one, according to a statement carried by Iranian state media.

“If Iranian ports face any kind of threat, no port in the region will be safe,” the spokesman said, without specifying any incident or actor.

The IRGC, a powerful branch of Iran’s armed forces, also described U.S. restrictions on ships in international waters as “illegal” and “tantamount to piracy.”

The spokesman said that Iran was moving to implement a “permanent system” to assert greater control over maritime movement in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of global oil trade flows.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to leverage its strategic position near the Strait of Hormuz in response to external pressure, though it has not detailed operational changes in recent statements.

The IRGC did not provide evidence for its allegations and there was no immediate response from the United States.

Maritime security analysts said the rhetoric could increase uncertainty for shipping routes through the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, both of which are critical corridors for global energy supplies.

They warned that any escalation affecting navigation in the region could have ripple effects on oil prices and global trade flows.

Iranian officials have previously said the country would defend its “national interests” and respond to any attacks on its ports or maritime infrastructure, warning such actions would have “regional consequences.”