Iran warns US ships in Indian Ocean ‘will be attacked’ if war resumes, says ‘totally prepared’ for naval confrontation

In a warning to the United States, Iran recently said it has developed capabilities for a “naval confrontation”, claiming American ships in the Indian Ocean would be the target if war resumes.

“If war begins again, US ships, unless they leave the Indian Ocean, will be attacked wherever they are inside the Indian Ocean. We have developed these capabilities,” Iranian security council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said, according to a post by the Iran Embassy in Hyderabad.

Rezaei said Iran had increased the speed of their hypersonic missiles “from Mach 6 to Mach 10”. “We have also developed our electronic warfare systems, improved our air defenses, and we have other measures that we will use at the appropriate time,” the security council secretary added.

He added that Tehran was “fully prepared”. “If America starts the war, we will confront America with greater force and with more numerous and more painful strikes,” Rezaei said.

This comes even as Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday said the “old American order” in West Asia had “collapsed”, while urging Islamic nations in the region to implement a new one.

Ghalibaf said Tehran's messages and conditions were explicitly conveyed to the US through intermediaries, while stressing that the Strait of Hormuz won’t reopen until Iran's rights are recognised and America fulfills its commitments, Tasnim News reported.

He further flagged two strategic errors, saying the first one was an approach that advocated war without defining a mechanism or horizon for ending it, and the second one involved underestimating Iran's national capabilities.

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Meanwhile, Fox News reported that Trump is in “deciding mode” on Iran. Trump reportedly told the network's reporter Trey Yingst that "big things will be happening in the not so distant future".

“Iranians better behave, and he (Trump) is making this decision as to whether or not to blow up their nation,” Yingst said citing Trump. Trump further told Fox News there are three choices on the table for the conflict – “wiping Iran out,” “letting them rot economically” or “making a deal.” However, Trump said he was “open” to meeting with Iran's President.

US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, following which a ceasefire framework was agreed between Washington and Tehran in June. However, the truce unravelled quickly, and both sides have continued to exchange fire since then over key sticking points, specifically over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen has also escalated in recent weeks, after a fragile 2022 truce collapsed in July.

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