Iran has vowed that not a single litre of oil will be exported from the Gulf region while its war with the United States and Israel continues, sharply rejecting claims by US President Donald Trump that the conflict is nearing its end.
In a statement carried by Iranian media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Iranian armed forces would block oil exports from the region to hostile countries and their allies. The warning signals Tehran’s intention to use energy supply routes as leverage during the ongoing conflict.
Iran threatens to block oil exports
The IRGC mocked Trump’s remarks, suggesting that military operations were close to ending. Instead, the force declared that Iran would determine when the war concludes.
“It is we who will determine the end of the war,” the IRGC said, adding that the future balance of power in the region now rests with Iran’s armed forces. The group, considered close to Iran’s new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, also insisted that American forces would not dictate the outcome of the conflict.
IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said any shift in the situation would depend on developments on the battlefield. Meanwhile, Iranian forces have continued drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and US-linked positions across the region.
Shipping disruptions raise global concerns
The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered a wider regional war. Since then, tensions have escalated across the Middle East.
Shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has faced severe disruptions. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s crude oil usually passes through the narrow waterway, making it a vital global energy route.
Iranian forces have repeatedly targeted oil tankers passing through the strait since hostilities began. Consequently, global oil prices surged above $100 per barrel, reaching their highest level since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, before easing after Trump signaled that operations could soon wind down.
However, IRGC spokesman Naini dismissed those efforts to stabilize markets, saying attempts to control oil and gas prices during wartime would prove temporary.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards urged countries to expel US and Israeli ambassadors if they want safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, the IRGC also said it targeted the Al-Harir Air Base in Iraq’s Kurdistan region with five missiles, describing it as a headquarters for invading US forces.
