The pushback comes as the US tries to dissuade port operators from allowing Iranian tankers to dock. Deputy commander of the regular armed forces Rear-Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi said yesterday that the Iranian military is “prepared today as in the past” to protect against “any threats”. He added that “hindrances” to Iran’s right to use international waters “would be clearly unacceptable”.
Mr Mousavi’s statements are likely in response to US officials hinting that Iranian ships will not be welcome in international waters.
However, the US has received little support for its sanctions so far, which Washington reintroduced after leaving the Iran nuclear deal.
The other countries in the deal – Russia, UK, France, China, Germany and the EU – are all steadfastly sticking to the agreement, which exchanges Iran’s promise to limit its nuclear activity with the dropping of sanctions.
However, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US would only lift its sanctions if the Iranian government complies with a list of 12 demands.
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US special representative for Iran and senior policy adviser to the Secretary of State Brian Hook said last week: “From the Suez Canal to the Strait of Malacca and all choke-points in between, Iranian tankers are a floating liability.
“Self-insured Iranian tankers are a risk to the ports that permit them to dock and the canals that allow them to transit.”
Mr Hook added that nations who ignore the US’ sanctions on Iran could face sanctions of their own.
Iran has previously threatened to blockade the Strait of Hormuz through which most of the oil from the Middle East is exported if its own ships are blocked.
This would cut off a significant amount of the world’s oil supply.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has even held naval exercises in the Persian Gulf to prepare for “confronting possible threats”.
However, US National Security Adviser John Bolton dismissed the claims Iran would shut down the Strait of Hormuz, claiming they were merely “bluffing”.