US President Donald Trump threatened to “hit Iran 20 times harder” if it blocks oil transit, after having anticipated a near end to the conflict, which the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said only they will dictate.
Iran is willing to “expand” the war
It seems that Trump was hasty in claiming that the end of the war was “near.” His statements were responded to by the Revolutionary Guard, which assured that it was willing to expand the war: “security will be for everyone or insecurity for everyone. It is we who will determine the end of the war,” the elite military body stressed in a statement released by the Fars agency.
Shortly before, Trump had stated that the war with Iran is “practically over” and that Tehran “has no navy, no communications, no air force.”
They accuse Trump of being a liar
In the statement released by the Revolutionary Guard, they accused Trump of “being a liar” and of falsely proclaiming the end of the power of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic to escape the pressure of war and end the desperation of American soldiers.
In addition, the Revolutionary Guard assured that its missiles are “now more powerful than at the beginning of the war, with greater volume and warheads of more than a ton.”
Strait of Hormuz, key in the conflict
Regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which appears to be key at this point in the conflict, Trump said he is considering “taking control” and stated that ships are already transiting through it.
For its part, the Revolutionary Guard has said that US warships have been stationed more than 1,000 kilometers from the area to protect themselves from powerful Iranian missiles and drones. On the other hand, Trump assures that there is already a presence of commercial and military ships in the region and highlighted the easy passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz is key because 20% of the world’s crude oil and important quantities of liquefied natural gas circulate through it. Due to the conflict, merchant traffic in the strait has been practically paralyzed, although it is the only way to leave the Persian Gulf to reach the Indian Ocean.
Trump’s contradictions
In this regard, Trump continued with his usual contradictory messages, and continued saying that he still did not know “how far they could go”, ending up threatening to “hit Iran 20 times harder” if it blocks the Strait of Hormuz.
They will not allow the export of a single liter of oil from the region to the hostile party
Trump’s announcement that the end of the war was near has made Iran’s response more threatening and Tehran has reiterated its threat that if the US and Israel continue their aggression against the Iranian population and infrastructure, they “will not allow the export of a single liter of oil from the region to the hostile party and its partners until further notice.”
“The decisions and the future of the region are now in the hands of our armed forces. It will not be the US forces that will end the war,” the elite military body stressed.
