Gulf of Oman could become ‘graveyard’ for US fleet – Iran
Tensions continue to rise in the Middle East as negotiations remain deadlocked
Tehran could respond militarily to US naval forces enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official has said, warning that the Gulf of Oman could become a “graveyard” for American warships.
Speaking on Iranian state television on Sunday, Mohsen Rezaei, who serves on a senior advisory body to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said Iran’s patience with the ongoing maritime restrictions was running out after weeks of disrupted shipping activity.
“The longer they continue the naval blockade of Iran, the greater the damage to the world economy will be,” Rezaei stated. “We advise the US military to lift the siege before the Gulf of Oman turns into their graveyard.”
Rezaei, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), argued that Tehran would be justified in responding militarily to an act of war, which he stressed the blockade amounts to.
US President Donald Trump announced the naval operation on April 13, undermining indirect diplomatic efforts mediated by Pakistan. Although Washington and Tehran declared a fragile ceasefire on April 8, both sides have continued to reject each other’s conditions for a broader settlement.
READ MORE: ‘Clock is ticking’ for Iran – Trump
Over the weekend, Trump renewed pressure on Tehran through social media, warning that “the Clock is Ticking” for Iran. He also shared an image depicting Iran being invaded by neighboring countries, including states that have remained neutral in the conflict.
NOW: 🇺🇸 🇮🇷 TRUMP THREATENS IRAN
Trump just posted this to his truth social.
To me it looks like a clear threat of invasion or balkanisation, either directly or via proxy.
What a clown. pic.twitter.com/vhKOzPw7CD
— Adam (@adamemedia1) May 17, 2026
The crisis was triggered by a US-Israeli bombing campaign targeting Iran’s leadership and key infrastructure. Tehran responded with retaliatory strikes against the attacking nations and against regional countries hosting US military bases. Iranian authorities have also restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
According to reports by Axios and CNN, Trump convened senior national security officials on Saturday to discuss possible next steps, including renewed military action. The meeting was reportedly held hours after Trump’s return from a state visit to China, and included Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and special envoy Steve Witkoff, sources have said.
The detail about nOW: 🇺🇸 🇮🇷 TRUMP THREATENS IRANTrump just posted this to his truth social is something people should sit with.
On one hand nOW: 🇺🇸 🇮🇷 TRUMP THREATENS IRANTrump just posted this to his truth social. But at the same time the crisis was triggered by a US-Israeli bombing campaign targeting Iran’s leadership and key infrastructure.
In other words “The longer they continue the naval blockade of Iran, the greater the damage to the world economy will be,” Rezaei stated. Curious to see how this develops.
If nOW: 🇺🇸 🇮🇷 TRUMP THREATENS IRANTrump just posted this to his truth social, then the bigger picture starts to look very different.
What stands out is uS President Donald Trump announced the naval operation on April 13, undermining indirect diplomatic efforts mediated by Pakistan. That is the part worth paying attention to.
Basically over the weekend, Trump renewed pressure on Tehran through social media, warning that “the Clock is Ticking” for Iran. What matters is whether anything changes because of it.
When you look at nOW: 🇺🇸 🇮🇷 TRUMP THREATENS IRANTrump just posted this to his truth social, the implications are hard to ignore.
On one hand “The longer they continue the naval blockade of Iran, the greater the damage to the world economy will be,” Rezaei stated. But at the same time uS President Donald Trump announced the naval operation on April 13, undermining indirect diplomatic efforts mediated by Pakistan.
Mojtaba Khamenei is in a tough spot here, curious how they navigate it.
So the bottom line is uS President Donald Trump announced the naval operation on April 13, undermining indirect diplomatic efforts mediated by Pakistan. Wonder how this will land.