- Iran’s Supreme Leader warned enemy forces would depart Arabian Sea.
- Iranian commander claimed full control, US CENTCOM instantly rejected.
- US stated
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei on Monday warned that “enemy forces” would soon be driven out of the Arabian Sea, saying adversaries had suffered “painful blows” from Iranian fighters and guardians of the Strait of Hormuz. The remarks drew a sharp response from the United States, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) rejecting Iran’s claims of maritime control and declaring, “Iran has no navy.”
Khamenei made the remarks in a message issued during Iran’s “Sacred Defense Week” and on the anniversary of the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah. He said Iran’s armed forces and different sections of society remained prepared to confront the country’s adversaries.
“The two southern seas of Iran were the roaming grounds of enemy forces. Today, however, due to the painful blows they have received from the brave warriors and guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, they do not advance past the Arabian Sea,” Khamenei said.
He added that whenever foreign forces had attempted to move further, they had brought harm upon themselves, warning that “soon, the Arabian Sea too will be cleared of them”.
Today, because of the painful blows they [the enemies] have suffered at the hands of the valiant [Iranian] fighters & the guardians of the #Strait_of_Hormuz, they dare not advance beyond the Arabian Sea. It won’t be long before the Arabian Sea rids itself of their presence too.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) September 28, 2026
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US Says Iran Does Not Control Strait Of Hormuz
The remarks came as tensions remained high between Tehran and Washington over the Strait of Hormuz, with an Iranian commander claiming that Iran exercises full control over maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.
CENTCOM rejected the assertion in a post on X, calling it false.
“CLAIM: A senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander said today that Iran has full control over the Strait of Hormuz through Iran’s ‘navy.’ This is FALSE,” CENTCOM said.
The US military then said Iranian naval capabilities had been neutralised by American forces.
“FACT: Iran has no navy because American forces sank it,” CENTCOM said, adding that Iran did not control the Strait of Hormuz.
🚫 CLAIM: A senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander said today that Iran has full control over the Strait of Hormuz through Iran’s “navy.” This is FALSE.
✅ FACT: Iran has no navy because American forces sank it. And Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz as… pic.twitter.com/n1sE4goDY1
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 28, 2026
CENTCOM pointed to what it said were thousands of ships that had passed through the waterway freely, along with more than 1 billion barrels of oil transported through it in recent months.
Iranian Commander Claims Control Over Hormuz
The US response followed remarks by Iranian Army Chief of Staff and Deputy Coordinator Habibollah Sayyari, who said naval forces operating under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps maintained total control over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Sayyari said Iran’s naval forces oversee the eastern entrance of the strategic waterway towards the Indian Ocean and warned that maritime traffic could be prevented from passing through areas under Iranian control, according to Iranian state media cited by Anadolu Agency.
His remarks formed the basis of the CENTCOM statement rejecting Tehran’s assertion of control over the waterway.
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Khamenei Says Iran Ready For Confrontation
In his message, Khamenei also stressed what he described as widespread “armed readiness” across Iran.
“Presently, throughout Islamic Iran—adorned by the presence of diverse ethnicities—various declarations of readiness, particularly armed readiness, exist to construct an arena that will bring renown to them and disgrace to their enemy,” he said.
Khamenei further said different sections of Iranian society, despite their apparent differences, were standing together to preserve what he called their “rightful positions”, including the Strait of Hormuz.
“There were days when the enemy constantly tried to weaken the social backbone of the system, but nowadays, various strata of society, despite their apparent differences, stand firm on maintaining their rightful positions, including the preservation of the blessed Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Hormuz At Centre Of US-Iran Tensions
The latest exchange comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over the strategic waterway and Iran’s nuclear programme.
The developments follow US President Donald Trump’s rejection of an Iranian proposal linked to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway is one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints and serves as a major route for global petroleum shipments.
