Iran’s Army Chief Major General Amir Hatami on Sunday issued a sharp warning to the United States against any attempt to claim the Strait of Hormuz as US territory, saying that even joking about such a move was a serious mistake.
“You are very wrong! Even joking about this is a massive mistake. This is Iran, and it has guardians who will break your leg,” Hatami said during a ceremony marking National Journalists’ Day.
His comments followed recent remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting that the strategically important waterway could become American territory.
Hatami described the strait as a “divine geopolitical capacity” for Iran, arguing that its strategic position could be used to deter future military action against the country.
He said Tehran considered exercising its geopolitical leverage over the waterway necessary to reduce the threat of further war, adding that Iranian forces would defend the area with their full capabilities.
The army chief also claimed that Iranian forces had struck the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln at least once, temporarily preventing its fighter aircraft from operating. There was no independent confirmation of the claim in the provided account.
Hatami further announced a financial reward for anyone who kills or captures a US soldier involved in what Iran considers an act of aggression.
He also declared that, in Tehran’s view, the era of a sustained US military presence in the Persian Gulf had come to an end.