Mojtaba's Adviser Warns US that Iran Could Choose Path of War if Blockade Continues

TEHERAN – A senior military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader stated on Thursday (30 April 2026) that the US blockade of Iranian ports “will fail,” while warning that Tehran could opt for confrontation if the measure continues. In a statement broadcast on state television early Thursday, Mohsen Rezaei said Iran has various ways to break the blockade and asserted that efforts to impose it would not succeed. He added that if the blockade persists, Iran might use confrontation to shatter it. Rezaei also outlined possible scenarios if another war occurs, stating it would focus on the southern coastal regions, extending towards Isfahan, and including some activities in the western part of the country. He warned that such a conflict could involve bombings and assassinations in Tehran. The US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on 28 February, which Tehran retaliated against with strikes on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets. The US-Israeli airstrikes killed more than 3,300 people before Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire on 8 April, mediated by Pakistan. Although initially scheduled to end on 22 April, US President Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire on 21 April at the request of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief of Staff Asim Munir.