Iran "awaiting" US fleet in Strait of Hormuz, IRGC general says

Iranian forces are “awaiting the US naval fleet in the Strait of Hormuz,” and the outcome of the ongoing conflict "is in Iran’s hands,” a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on March 10 morning, CNN reports.

Major General Ali Mohammad Naeini made the comments in statements carried by state media, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s press conference of March 9 and his recent remarks about protecting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil and shipping route.

“The armed forces of the Republic of Iran are awaiting the US naval fleet in the Strait of Hormuz region and are waiting for the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford,” Naeini said.

He added that Trump claimed commercial and military vessels are passing freely through the Strait, while American ships, vessels, and fighter jets are reportedly stationed over 1,000 kilometres away to avoid confrontation with Iran’s powerful missiles and drones.

On March 9, Trump said the strait “is going to remain safe” and warned that “the price will be incalculable [for Iran]” if it attempted to strike any ships. He also suggested that the U.S. Navy might escort tankers if necessary to maintain security.

Naeini further warned that if U.S.–Israeli strikes continue, Iran “will not allow the export of a single liter of oil from the region.”

According to U.S. Central Command, two carrier strike groups are currently deployed in the Middle East: the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea and the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Red Sea after transiting the Suez Canal.