Commander of the Navy in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Alireza Tangsiri warned Iran's enemies of any mistakes, emphasizing that the Iranian navy is ready to face any threats.

"If the enemies make a mistake, we will send them to the depths of hell," Tangsiri stated, emphasizing that during the current year, Tehran will bolster its defensive capabilities to face hegemonic powers. 

The Naval Commander added that "Iranian combat units are at the highest level of readiness in the Strait of Hormuz, monitoring all enemy movements and not losing sight of them for a moment," noting that in the case of battles breaking out, "the enemies will receive strikes from where they least expect."

This comes amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran, as Trump waits for a reply to a letter he addressed to the leader of the Islamic Republic  Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, in which he urged Iran to reach a nuclear agreement with the US or face military action.

The wider context

Since returning to the White House for a second term in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions against Iran, echoing his strategy from his first presidency. In his initial term, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, reimposing sweeping economic sanctions.

Tehran initially continued to comply with the 2015 deal for a year after Washington’s withdrawal but later began scaling back its commitments. Brief attempts to revive the agreement under Joe Biden’s administration failed to yield results.

Iran has consistently ruled out direct negotiations with the US while sanctions remain in place. Araghchi recently reaffirmed this stance, stating that Iran "definitely will not negotiate directly while facing pressure, threats, and increased sanctions."

After reclaiming the presidency in January, Trump reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy, similar to his first term. 

Initially, Iran continued to abide by the nuclear agreement for a year following the US exit but later scaled back its commitments. Although the Biden administration stated publically it wanted to revive the deal, negotiations stalled, leaving Iran unwilling to engage while sanctions remain in place.