Iranian officials do not appear to be seeking a conventional ceasefire to the war that has been ongoing for nearly two weeks between Iran, the United States, and Israel. Instead, Tehran is attempting to create a global crisis that would prevent it from being attacked again, according to Nour al Din al Dagheer, director of Al Jazeera’s bureau in Tehran.
In a new signal that the conflict could expand, political and military officials threatened to turn the current confrontation into a regional war. They warned that Iran could add another strategic strait alongside the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian ports or islands were attacked.
In the latest response to American statements regarding securing navigation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it had targeted an American tanker flying the flag of the Marshall Islands in the Strait of Hormuz.
Through these statements and actions, Iran is seeking to reinforce the accuracy of its narrative regarding the situation of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, particularly in contrast to statements from the United States, which appear highly contradictory.
United States President Donald Trump spoke about the possibility of American forces escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. His remarks came hours after U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright published a post claiming that the U.S. Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the strait.
Wright later deleted the post. The claim was subsequently denied by the White House spokesperson. Later, Reuters reported that the U.S. Navy had informed the shipping sector that it could not escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz because the risk of attacks was extremely high.
At the same time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it had targeted an American vessel flying the Marshall Islands flag in the strait, through which 20 percent of global energy exports pass. The Guard stated that the strait is fully under its control and that any vessel passing through it would remain under its watch.
Reuters also reported, citing the German shipping company Hapag Lloyd, that fragments from projectiles struck the container ship Source Blessing near the strait.
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned that any targeting of Iranian islands would eliminate what remains of Iran’s restraint, adding that the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman would turn into a sea of blood.
Qalibaf’s remarks came days after reports emerged about American plans to seize Kharg Island, through which approximately 90 percent of Iran’s energy exports pass.
Qalibaf is considered one of the leaders managing the war due to his previous leadership role in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His statements therefore reflect Tehran’s desire not to end the war through a traditional agreement but rather by establishing a deterrent situation that would prevent the United States and Israel from launching future attacks, according to al Dagheer.
From the Iranian perspective, there are no legal or international guarantees capable of preventing the United States and Israel from launching new attacks against Iran, al Dagheer said. Iranian political and military leaders therefore believe that raising the cost of war represents the most reasonable guarantee.
Creating a Global Crisis
Iran is not only seeking to raise the cost of war for Washington and Tel Aviv. It is also attempting to transform the conflict into a global economic crisis by threatening to add another strategic strait alongside Hormuz, according to al Dagheer.
An Iranian military official stated that any American strategic mistake in the ongoing operations would ensure that the war would not remain limited to its current parties, warning that it would instead become a regional war.
According to the director of Al Jazeera’s Tehran bureau, Iran appears to be gradually escalating its pressure tools until it reaches a halt to the war under conditions that guarantee it will not be attacked again. In this context, the narrative surrounding the Strait of Hormuz has become the most critical dimension of the war.
Oil shipments through the strait have nearly stopped due to the United States and Israeli war against Iran that erupted on February 28. The disruption has affected nearly one fifth of global energy supplies and pushed prices to their highest levels since 2022.
Last Tuesday, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wrote in a post on the platform X that the Strait of Hormuz will either remain a passage of relief for all or become a choke point for those dreaming of war.
United Nations data indicate that maritime traffic through the strait has declined by 97 percent since the outbreak of the United States and Israeli war against Iran.
