Iran's army commander has announced a ban on US access to the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz, according to infohub.kz.
As reported by RBC citing the Mehr news agency, General Amir Hatami prohibited American military from entering these waters in response to threats by US President Donald Trump to declare the strait American territory.
"American bases will never be able to return to their previous state, and Iran will never allow the creation of facilities nearby whose purpose is to threaten Islamic Iran. The only way out is for Americans to leave the region. They are effectively banished and are no longer permitted to enter the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz," Hatami stressed.
The Iranian military commander noted that Tehran has already "won on this front" and is "consolidating" the victory. He also called Donald Trump a "loser," saying that the latter "foolishly" believed the United States could achieve success in Iran.
"They thought and claimed they could solve the 'Iranian problem' with these measures. Iran has no problem, and the nuclear pretexts (...) are false. There is no military solution to this fabricated problem," the general said.
Hatami added that the US "no longer possesses the power it once had."
Earlier, Donald Trump stated his intention to soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory. In response, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi noted that the strait would be closed and opened solely at Iran's discretion.