The joint command of Iran's armed forces, the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, threatened to broadly attack American assets if the United States strikes Iranian oil tankers, according to the journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12). The statement, issued shortly after reports that Washington had already begun targeting tankers, escalates Tehran's rhetoric — threatening a wider set of targets than previous warnings focused on regional US bases.
Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters — the operational nerve center coordinating the IRGC and the Artesh — issued a direct threat Tuesday evening, warning of broad attacks on American assets if the United States strikes Iranian oil tankers. This marks an escalation in scope from earlier statements that referenced only regional US bases.
The new threat follows a rapid chain of developments. At 21:48, The Zioneer reported that a senior commander at the HQ, citing Iran's Abu Ali Express, warned that any damage to oil tankers would trigger strikes on American bases. At 22:10, The Zioneer published an article identifying the official as Ali Abdollahi, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, who accused the US of ordering Iranian tankers to evacuate. At 22:12, a US official told i24NEWS that American forces were striking Iranian oil tankers, and the HQ's spokesman warned of retaliation. The current statement, attributed directly to the HQ command body itself, broadens the stated retaliatory scope from bases to American assets generally.
Earlier this evening, the sequence moved from an unverified Iranian claim to a confirmed US operation, and now to a formal HQ escalation. The HQ has a record of issuing sweeping regional threats. As The Zioneer reported on July 23, it warned it would block all oil exports via the Strait of Hormuz if attacked; on July 8, it declared any state enabling US strikes a legitimate target; and on August 1, its commander accused Washington of pushing towards a regional war. These statements come amid an ongoing US air campaign against Iran, including a five-hour strike wave on July 14 targeting coastal defenses and a broader wave on July 30 hitting oil refineries and strategic islands.
The White House and Pentagon have not publicly commented on the latest Iranian threat. It remains unclear whether the reported US strikes on tankers have ceased or will continue, and whether Iran will act on its widened threat.
3 developments
- StrongKhatam al-Anbiya chief pledges allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei, threatens US with 'devastating response'
- DevelopingIran's Khatam al-Anbiya HQ threatens the United States
- StrongIran's Khatam al-Anbiya commander: US pushing towards regional war
- DevelopingIran threatens to strike US bases in region if 'aggression' continues
Source and signal
- Open-source intake