Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) took responsibility for an attack on Emirati tankers that killed one crew member and seriously wounded four others, warning that cooperation with the U.S. would lead to 'grief, damage, and delay' in opening the Strait of Hormuz, and a global energy crisis.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officially claimed responsibility for the tanker attack, which killed one crew member and seriously wounded four others, according to a statement. The IRGC warned that any cooperation with the United States or transiting what it called a 'mined path' would lead to 'grief, damage, and delay' in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and a global energy crisis. The claim came after U.S. Central Command announced it had completed a five-hour wave of strikes against six Iranian targets, including Bushehr and Bandar Abbas, aimed at degrading Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping.
As The Zioneer reported earlier today, the U.S. strikes and the IRGC's response mark a significant escalation in the ongoing confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz. The report also noted that 50,000 American troops are currently operating in the Middle East.
The IRGC's claim follows a series of U.S. strikes that began overnight Monday, with CENTCOM confirming at 05:21 Jerusalem time that it had completed a five-hour wave of precision strikes across six locations in Iran. The strikes targeted air defense systems, missile and drone sites, and naval capabilities. Earlier, at 05:21 Jerusalem, CENTCOM released footage of the strikes, and ynet reported the conclusion of a night wave of operations after five hours. The IRGC's declaration of responsibility for the tanker attack came hours after these strikes, warning of consequences for cooperation with the U.S.
Background context from The Zioneer's published record shows that the IRGC had previously declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on June 10, following reported U.S. strikes on coastal sites. On July 7, five tankers were reported hit in the strait, with three identified as Qatari, Saudi, and Emirati vessels. The U.S. has conducted multiple rounds of strikes, with CENTCOM completing a third round on July 12, hitting 140 targets overnight and bringing the total to over 300 targets struck in three days. The current escalation remains ongoing, with the IRGC's threat of a global energy crisis adding a new dimension to the confrontation.
7 developments
- DevelopingIRGC claims it disabled two oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz, threatens global energy crisis
- DevelopingIRGC claims it struck US military facility in Kuwait, attacked vessel near Hormuz
- DevelopingIranian report: IRGC strikes US warships near Hormuz
- StrongIRGC attacked vessel in Strait of Hormuz overnight, Channel 14 reports
Source and signal
- Internal intake