A senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy threatened to sink US warships on Tuesday if they approach the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA.
"We are waiting for American warships to approach the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz so that we can sink them," Rear Adm. Ali Azmaei said in televised remarks, adding that Iranian forces are "counting down" for the encounter.
Azmaei claimed US warships "do not dare" approach the strategic waterway because of their vulnerability, saying a US aircraft carrier worth $13 billion had moved 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the strait.
"If the Americans want to see whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, let them enter the field and see who controls it," he said.
Azmaei also said Iranian forces released information about two cases in which "violating vessels" were punished, accusing the US and its regional partners of maintaining a media blackout on the incidents.
He claimed the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf are under the control of the IRGC Navy, while Iran's regular navy controls the Gulf of Oman.
Azmaei said the IRGC exercises "smart control" over the Strait of Hormuz, issuing permits for vessels traveling to and from Iran to use Iranian waterways.
He added that Iranian forces are better prepared now than they were at the beginning of the war.
Tensions in and around the Strait of Hormuz have remained high amid the Iran-US war and disputes about navigation through the strategic waterway.
Tehran maintains that it controls passage through Iranian waters in the strait and has warned vessels against using routes it considers unauthorized, while Washington has insisted on freedom of navigation through the waterway. Recent attacks on commercial vessels in and around the strait have further heightened maritime tensions.
