US Army: Iran is the only country that attacks civilian sailors

Listen to the article. The audio text is automated, generated by an automated system

On Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) accused Iran of being the only country that attacks civilian sailors crossing the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that US forces and their regional partners continue to protect shipping traffic, despite the escalating security risks.

Centcom, in a post on its account on the X platform, considered that the accusations of the Iranian ambassador to the International Maritime Organization that the American forces used “threatening, abusive and provocative language” towards Iranian sailors were incorrect.

She also added that the American blockade imposed on Iran has been ongoing for months, and that communication regarding it is being conducted professionally, stressing that “Iran is the only country that attacks civilian sailors while they are crossing territorial waters.”

The US Central Command indicated that "despite these unjustified attacks, commercial shipping traffic continues through the Strait of Hormuz with coordinated protection from US forces and regional partners," pointing to assistance in transporting more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait, last Monday alone.

The American statements came amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, after the Public Relations of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Naval Forces announced, on Wednesday, the sinking of a container ship that it said collided with a sea mine while trying to cross the Strait via a route it described as “unpermissible.”

The naval escalation also coincides with renewed American threats to Tehran, as US President Donald Trump said, during a rally in the city of Wasilla, Alaska, on Tuesday: “Wait and see what we will do to Iran. We will strike it with a strong blow.”

In a related context, American and Israeli sources reported that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possibility of launching a new large-scale military operation against Iran before the Israeli elections and the American midterm elections, in light of Israeli fears of Iranian moves to rebuild its nuclear capabilities.