Chilling message from the Strait of Hormuz as Russian flag flies

Iran previously announced that it was closing the strait—one of the most important maritime routes for the global transport of energy—to vessels belonging to countries linked to U.S. and Israeli attacks.

“There is no doubt that the Strait of Hormuz is under the wise management of the brave naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard. American aggressors and their partners have no right of passage here,” the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unit responsible for overseeing military operations, said in a statement.

In the released video, which is being interpreted as a direct response to the U.S. president, a Russian flag can be seen flying on at least one of the ships.

It is not clear when the video was recorded, and its authenticity has not been independently verified.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, commenting on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, said that American forces had destroyed all Iranian vessels.

“They still have some missiles left, but not many,” Trump said. On that occasion, he also stated that the United States had “won” the war with Iran, but would continue military operations until the job is completely finished.

He also said that the United States had “disabled” 58 Iranian warships.

The U.S. president further claimed that the operation had already achieved major success, but warned that he did not want to declare victory too early.

Meanwhile, attacks on tankers in the Persian Gulf continue.

The British organization UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced yesterday that since the start of the war on February 28, a total of 13 ships have been attacked in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman.

During the night, two more vessels were also attacked off the Iraqi coast, near the port of Umm Qasr Port near Basra.

One person was killed in the attack and 38 others were injured, an official from the Iraqi state company responsible for managing ports said.

UKMTO also released new information about an incident north of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the report, the ship’s captain said a container vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile, which caused a minor fire on board.

UKMTO added that a full assessment of the damage has been made difficult due to darkness.