US Central Command warned civilians that the Iranian regime is using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz to conduct "military operations that threaten international shipping," and that such actions "risk the lives of innocent people," in a statement on Wednesday.
CENTCOM urged civilians in Iran to "immediately avoid all port facilities where Iranian naval forces are operating. Iranian dockworkers, administrative personnel, and commercial vessel crews should avoid Iranian naval vessels and military equipment," CENTCOM warned.
"Civilian ports used for military purposes lose protected status and become legitimate military targets under international law," CENTCOM stated.
"Iranian naval forces have positioned military vessels and equipment within civilian ports serving commercial maritime traffic. Although the US military also cannot guarantee civilian safety in or near facilities used by the Iranian regime for military purposes, American forces will continue taking every feasible precaution to minimize harm to civilians," the military added.
IRGC Navy chief warns ships must seek permission to transit Strait of Hormuz to avoid being hit
Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) Alireza Tangsiri warned that vessels must obtain permission from the Islamic Republic before passing through the Strait of Hormuz, pro- and anti-regime outlets reported on Wednesday.
Ships that ignored warnings from the Iranian Navy and IRGC-N and attempted to pass through the waterway had "run into trouble," anti-regime London-based outlet Iran International cited Tangsiri as saying.
According to Iran International, he mentioned two vessels, Expres Rome and Mayuree Naree, saying that they tried to pass through the strait despite warnings, and were "caught in incidents."
All ports, docks in region will be legitimate targets if ours are threatened, Iran military spokesperson says
Additionally, in the event that Iran's ports and docks are threatened, all ports and docks in the region will be legitimate targets for the Iranian military, a senior spokesperson told Iranian state TV.
Iran has laid about a dozen mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say
Meanwhile, Iran has deployed about a dozen mines in the Strait of Hormuz, two sources familiar with the matter said, in a move likely to complicate the reopening of the narrow waterway, an important route for shipping oil and liquefied natural gas.
Exports of oil and LNG through the strategic chokepoint along Iran's coast have effectively been halted by the war launched 12 days ago by the United States and Israel, helping to drive a surge in world energy prices.
Iran’s military command on Wednesday said the world should be prepared for oil to hit $200 a barrel.
One source said the locations of most of the mines are known but declined to say how the US planned to deal with them.
CNN first reported the mining of the strait on Tuesday.
'Show us the hideouts': Iran urges Muslims to reveal regional US, Israeli military assets
Earlier on Wendesday, Iranian Armed Forces spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi called on regional Muslims and countries to reveal the locations of US and Israeli military assets to enable Tehran to conduct more accurate attacks, the Iranian state-affiliated Defa Press reported on Wednesday.
Shekarchi also framed the request as a way to ensure the safety of the people in the region.
“I call on the Muslim people of the region and the countries of the region to show us the hideouts of US and Zionist forces so that they themselves will not be harmed, and so that we can strike them more precisely," Shekarchi said.
Fraidy Moser and Reuters contributed to this report.