Iran bars US Navy from Gulf waters

Global energy markets reacted sharply to renewed military threats in the Middle East. Brent crude prices climbed to approximately $117 per barrel, marking the highest level since April. This surge follows a declaration by Iranian military leadership that United States naval vessels are no longer permitted in Persian Gulf waters.

Ali Abdollahi, the chief of general staff for Iran's armed forces, issued the directive in a statement released by state media on Saturday morning. He stated that the US Navy cannot re-enter Iranian territorial waters or surrounding areas because Iranian forces can target any vessel in the region. Abdollahi told the US president that his soldiers entering the Persian Gulf was merely a dream.

President Donald Trump addressed the situation during a rally in Florida on Friday. He indicated that the United States had not yet decided on its next move in the conflict. Trump suggested the military might launch another operation called Epic Fury, referencing the initial large-scale bombing campaign against Iran. He previously considered ending the fighting quickly with massive strikes or continuing a naval blockade to squeeze Tehran.

Shipping traffic around the Strait of Hormuz remains under threat. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that seven tankers were attacked or hit mines between Wednesday and Thursday. The group claimed two supertankers struck mines on Friday. These attacks have contributed to the spike in oil prices as traders assess the risk of renewed conflict.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute have stalled. Senior diplomats from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt met with counterparts from the UK, France, Germany, and Italy in Istanbul on Friday. Neither the US nor Iran participated in the talks. Hakan Fidan, the Foreign Minister of Turkiye, warned that a new attack on Iran would widen the war. He stated that no one was endorsing such an action at that time.

Other regional fronts saw continued activity. The Houthi group in Yemen struck Riyadh on Saturday, following recent attacks on Dammam airport and the Shaybah oilfield. Saudi forces responded by bombing areas in Marib and Taiz. In southern Lebanon, Israeli air strikes hit the area near Nabatieh. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a lockdown of the West Bank after a Palestinian attack killed two soldiers in Hebron.

Iranian state-linked media reported that Tehran has activated a dead hand doctrine. This protocol would allow attacks on US and Israeli interests to continue from all 31 provinces if senior leaders are assassinated. The IRGC threatened seabed internet cables if civilian infrastructure is targeted again. Axios reported on Saturday that US intelligence showed Iran had substantially increased efforts to strike American officials in the region.

Talks between Tehran and Washington have produced no progress so far. Reformist newspaper Etemad suggested the zero hour for another intense round of fighting was approaching. Analyst Reza Nasri wrote on X that Iran would no longer negotiate under bombardment and would end the cycle by all necessary means.