Iran bars US Navy from Gulf waters as crude oil price surges

The conflict between Iran and the United States has entered a new phase of open naval confrontation. Iranian military leaders have formally declared that American ships can no longer enter the Persian Gulf without facing fire.

Ali Abdollahi, the chief of general staff for Iran’s armed forces, issued the warning in a statement released by state media on Saturday morning. He stated that the US Navy cannot re-enter Iranian territorial waters or the surrounding areas because Iranian forces can target any vessel in the region. Abdollahi added that the US president could only dream of his soldiers returning to the Gulf.

President Donald Trump indicated that Washington has not yet decided on its next move. Speaking at a rally in Florida on Friday, he suggested the US military might launch another "Epic Fury" campaign, a reference to the large-scale bombing operations started when the war began. This comes as Trump has debated whether to end the fighting quickly with massive strikes or to maintain the current naval blockade and sanctions pressure.

The threat to shipping has already impacted global energy markets. Brent crude oil prices rose to approximately $117 per barrel, their highest level since April. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that seven tankers were attacked or hit mines overnight into Thursday. The IRGC claimed two supertankers struck mines on Friday. The group said its doctrine has shifted to a more offensive posture.

Washington has reportedly ordered many diplomatic staff to leave Saudi Arabia, with others expected to depart from other regional countries. On the diplomatic front, talks mediated by other nations have stalled. On Friday, senior diplomats from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt met in Istanbul with counterparts from the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Neither the US nor Iran attended the session.

Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a new attack on Iran would widen the war and spread the conflict across the region. He noted that no one is endorsing such an attack at this point. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul blamed Iran and the Houthis for regional instability. The four regional ministers stated that Israeli occupation was the main source of instability and backed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June.

Other fronts remain active. The Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen struck Riyadh on Saturday, following recent attacks on Dammam’s international airport and the Shaybah oilfield. In southern Lebanon, Israeli air strikes hit areas near Nabatieh. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an election on October 27, ordered a lockdown of the occupied West Bank after two soldiers were killed in Hebron. Iranian state-linked media claim Tehran has activated a "dead hand" doctrine, which would allow attacks to continue from all 31 provinces if senior leaders are assassinated.