Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they would block oil shipments from the Middle East if attacks by the United States and Israel continue, sharply escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict.
A spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tehran would not allow “one liter of oil” to leave the region while the strikes persist, adding that Iran itself would determine when the war ends.
The threat targets energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
Trump Warns of Much Harder U.S. Strikes
U.S. President Donald Trump responded with a warning that Washington would sharply escalate military action if Iran blocks oil shipments.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump said the United States had already inflicted serious damage on Iran’s air force and navy and predicted the war could end sooner than the initial four-week timeframe he previously mentioned, although he has not defined what victory would entail.
Conflict Escalates as Iran Rejects Talks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran was unlikely to resume negotiations with Washington, citing what he described as a “bitter experience” after the United States attacked despite earlier diplomatic progress.
Meanwhile, Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader following the killing of his father Ali Khamenei in an Israeli strike at the start of the war.
The conflict has already effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz for more than a week, leaving tankers unable to sail and forcing oil producers to halt pumping as storage fills.
Markets Swing Amid War Uncertainty
Oil prices surged sharply before falling again as markets reacted to the escalating rhetoric but also to Trump’s prediction that the war could end soon. Brent crude had jumped as much as 29% before retreating by more than 10%.
Global stock markets also rebounded after the U.S. president suggested that sanctions on some countries’ oil exports could be eased following a conversation with Vladimir Putin.
Strikes Continue Across the Region
The conflict has intensified across the region, with Iran reporting that at least 1,332 civilians have been killed and thousands wounded in U.S. and Israeli strikes since late February.
In Tehran, black smoke filled the skyline after an oil refinery was hit, prompting concern from Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that the resulting fire could contaminate food, water and air.
Elsewhere, Turkey said NATO air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran that entered Turkish airspace, while Israel said it had launched new attacks in central Iran and struck Beirut after cross-border fire by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
