Saeed Siah Sarani, Assistant for Cultural Affairs and Psychological Warfare in the naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated that oil tankers cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz without the permission of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Speaking today during a ceremony marking the 40th day since the killing of former IRGC Navy commander Ali Reza Tangsiri, Siah Sarani warned that “if America and its president, Trump, make any mistake, we will turn the Gulf into the largest watery graveyard for U.S. Marines.”

He stressed that the Iranian armed forces “have not yet fought a war against the United States at sea, instead a smart and tightly controlled closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been implemented, and the asymmetric war against the enemy is still ongoing.” He further said: “We promise the Iranian people that we will not hesitate for a single moment in protecting the strait.”

Iran also announced yesterday that it refuses to enter a second round of negotiations with the United States “without meeting five conditions aimed at establishing minimum trust guarantees,” according to Iranian media outlets.

Informed sources told Iran’s Fars News Agency that “these conditions are defined solely within the framework of building a minimum level of trust necessary for returning to the negotiation process.” The sources added that Tehran believes “without the practical fulfillment of these conditions, it will not be possible to enter into new negotiations.”