TEHRAN, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran said Monday it is fully prepared for any scenario in the Strait of Hormuz and will not tolerate "bullying" by U.S. forces, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
A military source told Tasnim that Iran's forces will block U.S. military passage through the strait, requiring American vessels to seek authorization before entering the waterway.
Iran's Fars news agency, citing local sources, reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy struck a U.S. Navy frigate with two missiles near the southern port city of Jask, forcing it to withdraw. Shargh Daily later reported that Iranian naval forces fired cruise missiles, rockets and combat drones as "warning strikes" around U.S. destroyers in the strait.
Iran's top military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned Monday that "any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive U.S. army, will be attacked" if they attempt to enter the strait, state agency IRNA reported.
The warnings came after President Trump said Sunday the U.S. would escort ships stranded in the strait to safety on Monday.
Iran began restricting passage through the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28, barring vessels linked to Israel and the United States following joint strikes on Iranian territory. Tensions escalated further after U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Islamabad on April 11-12 collapsed without an agreement. ■
