Iran general warns US warships: Any attempt to open new Hormuz route could trigger attack

An Iranina general has warned that US warships attempting to establish or enforce an alternative shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz could become targets, escalating an already dangerous confrontation over the strategic waterway.

Major Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Iran would not permit an "unauthorised route" through the strait and warned that US vessels could face "serious consequences" if they tried to force one open.

In an interview with Iran's SNN TV channel, Major General Rezaei said: "Even if they bring a warship, we will strike that warship. If they bring military forces, we will strike them."

Rezaei said many ships now heed Iran's warnings and turn back, while vessels pushed by the Americans "suffer some damage and then turn back themselves."

Despite months of US attacks, Iran's stance remains unchanged: Hormuz will not be reopened on Washington's terms.