Iran's military chief orders US Navy out of Gulf waters as Brent crude tops $117

Ali Abdollahi, the chief of general staff for Iran's armed forces, declared on Saturday morning that the United States Navy is prohibited from re-entering Iranian territorial waters or their immediate surroundings. In a statement distributed by state media, Abdollahi asserted that Tehran retains the capacity to target any vessel operating in the region. He noted that the US president could only dream of having his soldiers and military assets return to the Persian Gulf.

The announcement came as President Donald Trump indicated that Washington had not yet decided its next strategic move in the conflict. Speaking to supporters at a rally in Florida on Friday, Trump stated that the US military might launch another "Epic Fury" operation. That phrase refers to the extensive bombing campaign initiated against Iran at the start of the war. Earlier in the week, Trump had weighed the options of ending the fighting rapidly with massive strikes or allowing the existing naval blockade and sanctions to continue squeezing Tehran's economy.

Abdollahi criticized American rhetoric as contradictory. He argued that Washington's claim that Iran's military capabilities have been largely destroyed is undermined by its decision to keep aircraft carriers and support ships at a distance from Iranian territory. The Iranian commander stated that his forces intend to "drown" the US and Israel in a "quagmire" as a response to the surprise attack on February 28, which began the eight-month war and unsettled the entire region.

Shipping activity around the Strait of Hormuz remains under continuous attack. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that seven tankers were attacked or hit mines in the early hours of Thursday. On Friday, the IRGC claimed that two supertankers struck mines. The group stated that its operational doctrine has shifted toward a more offensive posture. These developments have pushed Brent crude to approximately $117 per barrel, its highest level since April. Washington has reportedly ordered many diplomatic staff to leave Saudi Arabia, with additional personnel due to depart from other countries in the region.

Combat has also expanded on other fronts. The Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen struck Riyadh again on Saturday. This followed recent attacks on Dammam's international airport and the Shaybah oilfield. Saudi forces have responded by bombing Houthi-held areas, including Marib and Taiz. In southern Lebanon, reported Israeli air strikes hit areas around Nabatieh, while artillery fell near Zawtar ash-Sharqiyah. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a lockdown after a Palestinian attack killed two soldiers in Hebron. Netanyahu faces a general election on October 27.

Iranian state-linked media and analysts claim Tehran has activated a "dead hand" doctrine. This protocol would allegedly allow attacks on US, Israeli, and regional interests to continue from all 31 provinces if senior leaders are assassinated. The IRGC has also threatened seabed internet and communication cables if civilian infrastructure is targeted again. Axios, citing US intelligence, reported on Saturday that Iran has substantially increased its efforts to strike American officials in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Diplomatic efforts have yet to yield progress. On Friday, senior diplomats from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt met with counterparts from the UK, France, Germany, and Italy in Istanbul. The United States and Iran were not present at the talks. Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that a new attack on Iran would widen the war and spread the conflict across the region. He added 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 countered that Israeli occupation was the main source of instability. The group backed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June and demanded unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Nour News, an outlet affiliated with Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the meeting revealed a gap between diplomatic claims and field realities. Reformist paper Etemad suggested that the "zero hour" of another intense round of fighting is approaching.

Analyst Reza Nasri wrote on X that Iran will no longer negotiate under bombardment. He stated that Tehran intends to end the current cycle by all necessary means.