Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Oct 21: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that two oil tankers caught fire on Tuesday after hitting naval mines laid by its naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz, while the country's Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned that any attack on Iran would be met with an equal or stronger response.
In a statement published on its official news outlet, Sepah News, the IRGC said the two oil tankers attempted to cross the strait through an “illegal” route south of the waterway before colliding with the mines.
The IRGC warned that attempting to cross the mined route in the strait was “illegal” and would result only in the burning of the “violators' assets.”
The force also said its air defence units shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night. It added that its forces were continuously monitoring the regional situation and would continue to exercise sovereignty and control over the strategic waterway, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday that the country would not allow any attack against it to go unanswered and would respond with equal or greater force.
Speaking at his weekly press conference in Tehran, Baghaei rejected claims circulating on social media in recent days that the United States had sent a message announcing its intention to attack Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, which is alleged to be linked to the country's nuclear programme.
Baghaei said Iran had demonstrated over the past two years that the era of “hit and run” was over. He dismissed suggestions that Tehran would refrain from retaliating against an attack as “fantasies.”
Baghaei also said that no discussions had taken place between Tehran and Moscow on the details of Iran's nuclear issue during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's recent visit to Iran.
In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday night, US President Donald Trump said Washington might have to target Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, stressing that the United States wanted to ensure that Tehran would not develop nuclear weapons.