Iran's Major General Amir Hatami has threatened to "break Trump's legs" if he tries to take over the Strait of Hormuz. The US President made the claim during a speech last Friday, saying the strait would soon become "a territory of the United States," despite ongoing gridlock in peace talks with Iran.
General's Warning
In a sharp rebuke on Sunday, Hatami said it would be a "major mistake" to joke about taking over the strait, and that doing so would see him "break your legs." It was not clear whether Trump's comments were serious when he said: "After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz strait a territory of the United States. Essentially, that's what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to."
Conflict Background
The threat comes after attacks began by the US and Israel on Iran in February, where Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed along with members of his family. Trump promised a short conflict, but there is still no end in sight. Trump said the conflict was about stopping Iran from having the ability to make nuclear weapons, but the Strait of Hormuz has become front and centre as it is a vital waterway for global shipping which has been blocked by Iran.
Regional Claims and Bounty
Hatami claims that the US have "effectively been driven out" of the region and would be prevented from using the strait, while Iranian officials have also taunted Trump by saying he has to "accept the reality of defeat." The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June, an initial framework with a 60-day deadline for peace talks, but this window closed today without any concrete plans announced so far to end the war. Iran was supposed to allow the movement of shipping through the strait and the US similarly remove its blockade of Iranian ports, but that is not currently happening.
Meanwhile, Hatami also told Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency that a bounty of $30,000 would be given to anyone who kills or captures a US soldier and hands them over to authorities. "Courageous Iranian women who accomplish this feat will receive double the reward," he added. The new initiative is supported by public crowdfunding campaigns, with Iranian citizens understood to be contributing funds to boost the armed forces. Iran promised a bounty of $60,000 in April for finding a US service member whose fighter jet crashed in the country.
