Tensions Escalate as Iran Bars US Military Ships from the Gulf
Iran has insisted that United States military ships will never be allowed to enter the Gulf “under any circumstances”. The statement comes amid rising threats from the US and Israel over the possibility of fresh attacks on Iran.
US President Donald Trump, speaking at a midterm election campaign event for the Republican Party in Florida on Friday (23 October), suggested the US might launch a new military operation against Iran if Tehran did not agree to settle the conflict through negotiations.
Separately, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said Washington could launch another attack on Tehran as early as this weekend.
“We will not allow US military ships to be in the Persian Gulf under any circumstances, at any time,” said Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, in his latest statement, as reported by Iranian state television and cited by AFP on Saturday (24 October 2026).
Abdollahi then said Trump was “dreaming” if he wanted to see US forces enter the Persian Gulf.
“The US president may dream of seeing his Armed Forces enter the Persian Gulf. But he will take that dream with him to the grave,” he said.
Since the war erupted in late February, Iranian forces have restricted shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy supplies and a gateway to the Gulf region.
In retaliation, the US has imposed a maritime blockade on Iranian ports and vessels.
Tehran requires ships to obtain permission before transiting the strait and has repeatedly targeted vessels attempting to pass through the southern route near Oman’s coast. Iran often refers to that route as “illegal”.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that several oil tankers attempting to use the “illegal route” through the Strait of Hormuz had struck naval mines in recent days.
In the latest incident on Friday (23 October), the IRGC said two supertankers carrying more than 4.5 million barrels of oil had been abandoned at sea by their crews after hitting mines in the strategic waterway.