Iran’s military warned Wednesday it would shut down commercial shipping across the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Sea of Oman if the United States does not lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

“The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic will not allow any exports or imports to continue in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea,” Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s military central command center, said in a statement carried by Iranian state television.

Abdollahi said that if the U.S. blockade continues and “creates insecurity for Iran’s commercial vessels and oil tankers,” it would constitute “a prelude” to a ceasefire violation — language that appeared to place responsibility for any escalation on Washington.

Blocking the Red Sea would almost certainly involve activating Iran’s Houthi proxy forces in Yemen, who have previously demonstrated the capability to threaten commercial shipping through the waterway. The Red Sea is one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors, carrying a significant portion of global trade between Asia and Europe.

The warning came one day after U.S. Central Command announced it had achieved “maritime superiority” in the Middle East and fully implemented the blockade of Iranian ports within 36 hours of its launch. The U.S. military said Wednesday that American forces had completely halted all sea trade going into and out of Iran.

The two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire April 22. President Trump said Wednesday he was not considering an extension, predicting “an amazing two days ahead” as a second round of peace talks appeared imminent.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)