In threat, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they are ‘waiting’ for US forces at Strait of Hormuz

This handout photo released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows a rocket being fired during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz. (SEPAH NEWS / AFP)
This handout photo released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows a rocket being fired during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz. (SEPAH NEWS / AFP)

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warns they are waiting for US forces to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway where traffic remains strangled as the regional war rages.

“We are waiting for their presence,” says Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini, after the US energy secretary announced the Navy was preparing to escort ships through the strait “as soon as it’s reasonable to do it.”

“We recommend that before making any decision, the Americans remember the fire of the American supertanker Bridgeton in 1987 and the oil tankers that were recently targeted,” Naini said, according to Fars news agency.

The Bridgeton tanker was mined by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as it was being escorted through the Persian Gulf by the US Navy.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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