Mojtaba Khamenei Issues Defiant Warning as IRGC Forces Engage Tanker Outside Hormuz

In a rare statement, Mojtaba Khamenei says Iran's navy is ready to inflict "bitter defeats" on the US, as IRGC forces engage a tanker off Oman.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 18, 2026, 7:59 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from AFP and Reuters

A Rare Message from the Supreme Leader

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has maintained a strictly private profile since the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran began on February 28, broke his silence on Saturday with a defiant military warning. In a statement disseminated via his official Telegram channel, Khamenei praised the "brave navy" of the Islamic Republic and declared its readiness to repel "hostile forces." The timing of the message is seen by regional analysts as a calculated move to project internal stability and resolve as the current ceasefire between Washington and Tehran nears its scheduled expiration on Wednesday. Khamenei’s rhetoric specifically framed any American attempt to enforce a maritime blockade as a precursor to "bitter defeats" for the U.S. Navy.

Kinetic Escalation in the Gulf of Oman

The Supreme Leader’s warnings were underscored by immediate military action at sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that two gunboats linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opened fire on a commercial tanker approximately 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The vessel's captain reported that the attack occurred without a radio challenge or prior warning. While the ship and its crew were reported safe, the engagement marks the end of a brief period of relative calm following Thursday’s ceasefire agreement and signals a more aggressive enforcement of Iran’s claimed maritime jurisdiction.

Reasserting the "New Maritime Regime"

Tehran’s renewed hostility follows a formal declaration by the Iranian military that the Strait of Hormuz has returned to a state of "strict management." Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, clarified that a "New Maritime Regime" is now in effect, requiring all commercial vessels to coordinate with the IRGC and pay "required tolls" to transit the 21-mile-wide chokepoint. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh, speaking in Antalya, Turkey, reinforced this stance, stating that the U.S. "cannot impose its will" by maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports while demanding safe passage for its own interests.