A spokesman for Iran's Revolutionary Guards has challenged US President Donald Trump to deploy warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.
The US Navy may begin escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary, Trump said on Tuesday. The conflict in the Middle East has halted shipping and energy exports through the vital sea corridor.
Guard spokesman Alimohammad Naini said: "Iran welcomes the escorting of oil tankers and the presence of US forces in the passage through the Strait of Hormuz. And, by the way, we expect their presence," state media reported.
"We recommend that before making any decision, the Americans remember the fire of the American supertanker "Bridgeton" in 1987 and the oil tankers that were recently attacked," the spokesman added.
At least 9 ships have been attacked since the start of the fighting. The Revolutionary Guards have ordered ships not to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has rejected reports of a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global transport route for crude oil exports, DPA reported.
Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi said on state television in the evening: "We have not blocked the Strait of Hormuz". All ships have the right to pass, except for US and Israeli ships.
"They have no business there", the spokesman added.
At the same time, he admitted that in wartime conditions it is impossible to guarantee that all ships will avoid problems.
According to American military observers, ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has decreased by about 90%. As long as Iran's military capabilities allow, the country will continue to try to disrupt shipping through the strait, the American Institute for the Study of War wrote in its analysis of the situation.
The actions in the Strait of Hormuz are part of Iran's strategy to impose the costs of the war on the Persian Gulf countries, DPA notes. The strait is the most important strategic point for global energy trade. It is the only connection between the Persian Gulf and the world's oceans.
Along the Persian Gulf are significant producers of oil and natural gas, including not only Iran, but also Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE.