Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had attacked a U.S. military command center in Syria in retaliation for the U.S. naval blockade. As U.S. forces directly opened fire in the Persian Gulf, damaging an oil tanker, Iran threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a full escalation of confrontations on both sea and land.
According to Iranian state media on Friday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched an attack on a U.S. special operations command center located at al-Tanf in Syria, resulting in the deaths of a 'significant number' of American troops. Iran stated that this operation was direct retaliation for prior attacks inside Iran that killed several Iranian soldiers.
In a statement, the IRGC announced that the strike also successfully destroyed a radar system and several special operations helicopters. The operation was carried out in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike on Iranshahr, Iran, and forms part of Phase Eleven of Operation 'Nasr-2.'
The Revolutionary Guards warned: 'Full control over the Strait of Hormuz remains firmly in the hands of our heroic fighters; as long as America continues its acts of aggression, not a single drop of oil or gas will be exported from this region.'
Although U.S. forces announced in February this year that they had withdrawn from the al-Tanf base, control over this strategically vital area—situated at the tri-border junction of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq—remains highly sensitive. Neither the United States nor the Syrian government has issued an official response to the reported strike, and observers are closely watching whether this action signals a normalization of ground-level hostilities between the two sides.
As a directly involved party in the conflict, the Syrian government is striving to avoid being drawn into this regional vortex. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa previously stated clearly during an engagement with a London-based think tank that Damascus would maintain a neutral stance: 'Unless Syria itself comes under direct attack, we will remain outside any external conflicts.'
Behind the recent land-based assault lies an intense maritime confrontation that has unfolded over several days. With U.S. forces implementing an aggressive shipping blockade starting Tuesday, tensions in the Persian Gulf have reached a boiling point.
According to disclosures by U.S. Central Command, American forces have employed extreme enforcement measures deep in the Persian Gulf: a tanker operating illegally near Iran’s Kharg Island export terminal was struck and disabled by a U.S. missile. Additionally, U.S. forces forcibly rerouted three commercial vessels and deployed special operations teams to board and inspect another ship on-site.
Washington’s assertive actions have triggered reciprocal threats from Iran. In its latest statement, the IRGC emphasized that Iran currently exercises 'absolute control' over the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has explicitly drawn a red line: as long as the U.S. continues its attacks on Iranian shipping, no oil or natural gas will be allowed to pass through this globally critical energy chokepoint.
The waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman are currently witnessing a modern maritime version of a 'cat-and-mouse game.' Satellite monitoring data show that approximately 91 oil tankers linked to Iranian energy trade have been lingering in the region over the past week.
Under intense U.S. surveillance, multiple liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers affiliated with Iran are employing irregular navigation patterns to evade detection. For instance, the Glendale, originally en route to Southeast Asia, abruptly reversed course in the Gulf of Oman and is now idle; meanwhile, the Danuta I is executing sharp zigzag maneuvers across the Arabian Sea, with its speed and destination deviating entirely from normal operational logic.