IRGC Warns of Wider Energy Disruption Amid Hormuz Standoff

By Staff, Agencies

ran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Tuesday that oil and gas exports across the region could be halted entirely if the United States continues its efforts to control the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, the IRGC accused Washington of acting like "pirates" by attempting to restrict regional energy flows, warning that alternative export routes serving the United States and its allies could also be blocked.

"Regional oil and gas exports are either for everyone or for no one," the statement said.

The warning came as the IRGC announced what it described as a new strike against US military infrastructure in Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and one of Washington's principal naval bases in the Persian Gulf.

According to the IRGC, the fifth wave of Operation Nasr-2 targeted an NSA management center, a command-and-control facility, warehouses containing military equipment and spare parts, and fuel storage tanks used by the US Fifth Fleet.

The IRGC claimed the targeted facilities were destroyed in the early morning operation. The US military has not commented on the claim.

The latest warning follows Tehran's decision to declare the Strait of Hormuz closed until the United States ends what Iran describes as its illegal military intervention in the region.

Washington has maintained that its military operations are intended to protect commercial shipping and ensure freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted that the United States is now "in control" of the Strait of Hormuz and would serve as its "guardian."

Trump has also threatened to expand military operations against Iran, including possible strikes on power plants and bridges, unless Tehran returns to negotiations.

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump declined to rule out a ground campaign, saying it could be carried out by "other people," and again referenced Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal, as a potential target.

Kharg Island handles the majority of Iran's crude oil exports and has repeatedly been mentioned by Trump in recent months, including earlier this year when he suggested the United States could seize the island "to take the oil."