Iran escalated its confrontation with the United States on multiple fronts Monday, with state-affiliated media claiming missiles struck a US Navy vessel, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announcing a formal maritime control zone in the Strait of Hormuz, and senior military commanders warning that any American military approach to the waterway would be met with force.
The claims, emanating from outlets and institutions closely tied to the Iranian state, came on the same day Washington was set to begin escorting commercial vessels through the strait under what President Donald Trump has dubbed "Project Freedom."
Missile Claim from IRGC-Affiliated Outlet
Fars News Agency — widely regarded as having close ties to the IRGC, Iran's powerful paramilitary force — reported Monday, citing unnamed local sources in southern Iran, that two missiles struck a US Navy frigate near the port city of Jask as it attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The agency's political correspondent claimed the vessel had been "violating maritime security and navigation rules" and ignored warnings from Iranian naval forces before being hit.
According to the report, the frigate was "forced to turn back and flee the area." No details on damage or casualties were provided, and the claim could not be independently verified. The United States has not publicly commented on the alleged incident.
The report aligned with a separate statement from an unnamed military source speaking to Tasnim News Agency — another outlet considered close to the IRGC — who said Iran's armed forces had "launched initial fire against a number of US military vessels."
IRGC Declares Formal Control Zone
In a formal statement Monday, the IRGC announced it had established a new "smart control" maritime zone encompassing a significant portion of the Strait of Hormuz. The zone is bounded to the south by a line between Mount Mobarak in Iran and southern Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, and to the west by a line between the end of Qeshm Island and Umm Al Quwain in the UAE.
The declaration effectively formalizes restrictions Iran has imposed on strait transit since late February, when a US-Israeli military campaign struck Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military officials. Iran responded with weeks of missile and drone strikes in what it describes as 100 waves of counterattacks over 40 days, during which it closed the strait to vessels belonging to adversaries and their allies.
Senior Commander Issues Direct Threat
Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters — the country's central military coordination body — issued a direct warning to Washington: any foreign armed force attempting to approach or enter the strait "would be targeted."
"We would preserve and firmly manage the security of the Strait of Hormuz with full capability," Abdollahi said, advising all commercial vessels and tankers to "refrain from any attempt to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with the Armed Forces of Iran stationed there in order not to endanger their security."
His statement was released hours after Trump announced that US Central Command would begin supporting merchant vessels "seeking to freely transit" the strait starting Monday. Trump claimed the operation was launched at the request of countries whose vessels are stranded in the waterway, which carries roughly 20 percent of global oil trade.
Diplomatic Track: Foreign Ministry Confirms Receipt of US Response
In a rare note suggesting back-channel communication remains open, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei confirmed at his weekly press briefing that Tehran had received the US response to what Iran calls its "14-point initiative," transmitted through Pakistan.
However, Baqaei characterized the review as "not straightforward," citing "the US side's track record of excessive demands and unreasonable expectations." He dismissed media speculation about the specifics of the proposal — including details on uranium enrichment and the handling of nuclear material — as largely based on "the record of previous negotiations" rather than current substance.
"We are still dealing with a side that both constantly changes its positions and raises issues that could practically complicate any diplomatic process," Baqaei said. He emphasized that Iran's current focus is exclusively on "the cessation — the complete end — of the war."
Tehran Seeks to Drive Wedge Between US and Europe
The Foreign Ministry spokesman also sought to exploit what Tehran perceives as fractures between Washington and its European allies, pointing to German officials' reported acknowledgment that US entry into the conflict had "imposed heavy costs on Europe" and was undertaken "without a clear strategy."
Baqaei noted that France has declared it will not participate in the US plan for the Strait of Hormuz and has finalized its own proposal with the United Kingdom. "We expect these countries not to further complicate the existing situation," he said, adding that "the best help is to prevent the escalation of the US's illegal actions."
He held "responsible all countries that actively or passively acquiesced to the US in this military aggression."
Iran Claims US Blockade Failing
Separately, Masoud Palmeh, secretary of the Iranian Association of Shipping Companies and Related Services — an industry body operating within Iran's state-regulated economy — insisted that all ports along Iran's southern coast remain operational and that the US naval blockade was "barely working," serving primarily as "psychological warfare."
"Under no circumstances have our ports been closed," Palmeh said, adding that Iran's thousands of kilometers of land and sea borders with 12 neighboring countries, along with increased trade with Russia and China, enable it to circumvent US restrictions. He acknowledged that "obstructions have been created for the passage of some vessels" but said Iran has "the capability to navigate through this process."
Context and Caveats
The claims published Monday by Fars and Tasnim — both outlets with well-documented editorial proximity to the IRGC — should be treated with significant caution. Neither outlet identified its sources by name, and no independent or Western confirmation of a missile strike on a US vessel has emerged. The IRGC and Iran's regular military have strategic incentives to project strength amid an escalating confrontation and a blockade that, by most international assessments, has significantly disrupted Iranian trade.
The Foreign Ministry's statements, while delivered through official diplomatic channels, similarly reflect Tehran's messaging priorities: framing the conflict as defensive, portraying US actions as internationally illegitimate, and attempting to isolate Washington from its allies.
What is clear from Monday's cascade of statements is that both sides are moving toward a direct military confrontation over control of the Strait of Hormuz — with Iran formalizing its claim to sovereignty over the waterway and the United States pledging to break that claim open.