Tehran, October 5, 2026: Iran has warned that it would target US military bases and American vessels across the region if Washington launches a ground invasion of Iranian territory, as tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington and maritime security concerns grow around the Strait of Hormuz and waters off Yemen.
Ali Fadavi, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), issued the warning during an appearance on Iranian state television on Sunday. He said Iran would target “every location related to the Americans”, including US bases and vessels, in response to any ground attack.
Fadavi said the United States understood military force and would be vulnerable to missile attacks on its warships and bases. He also claimed that Iran’s production of military equipment was exceeding its rate of use and that the country’s military capabilities had increased compared with previous conflicts.
Referring to the Strait of Hormuz, Fadavi said Iran and Oman should establish and enforce rules governing the strategic waterway, claiming that such rules had already been prepared and were being implemented.
He also warned that US vessels deployed to the region could come under Iranian attack.
The remarks come amid heightened US military activity in the Middle East and continuing confrontation between Washington and Tehran. US military assets have been deployed in the region as tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and the strategic waterway remain unresolved.
Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief General Amir Hatami separately said that despite casualties suffered during the conflict, its outcome had brought what he described as honour and pride to Iran rather than surrender.
According to Iranian state media, Hatami said the United States had turned to sanctions and economic pressure after failing to achieve its objectives through military means. He also accused Washington of pursuing measures aimed at creating insecurity and unrest inside Iran.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran would continue documenting what it describes as war crimes and damage resulting from military aggression by the United States and Israel.
Speaking in Tehran on Sunday, Gharibabadi called for continued engagement with international and regional organisations and said the Iranian Foreign Ministry would support government agencies in their dealings with such institutions.
Amid mounting economic pressure, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with President Masoud Pezeshkian accepting his resignation and appointing Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-run National Iranian Oil Company, as acting oil minister. Iranian state media reported that Paknejad resigned for personal reasons.
Paknejad had served as oil minister since August 2024. His departure comes as Iran’s oil sector faces severe pressure from US sanctions and restrictions on its oil exports.
Meanwhile, a tanker reported multiple explosions close to the vessel about 60 nautical miles south of Yemen’s port city of Mokha on Sunday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The vessel’s company security officer reported seeing several explosions in close proximity. The crew was reported safe and no environmental impact was recorded. Authorities are investigating the incident and have advised ships operating in the area to exercise caution.
The incident was reported amid continuing security concerns in waters around Yemen and the Red Sea. UKMTO has also reported other recent maritime incidents in the region, including an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on October 4 in which an unknown projectile struck the vessel and damaged its engine room.
The latest developments underline the widening security risks around the region’s critical shipping routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz and the approaches to the Red Sea, as Iran, the United States and their regional allies remain engaged in an increasingly tense confrontation.
