Mohsen Rezaei, described as a military adviser to Mojtaba Khamenei, stated in an interview with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Monday evening, August 3, that the Iranian government will under no circumstances permit the creation of a second corridor in the Strait of Hormuz. He threatened that if U.S. warships or military forces entered the area, they would be targeted.
In outlining what he termed the “Third War” or the “17-Day Muharram War” between Iran and the United States, Rezaei claimed that Washington’s primary objective was to carry out an airborne operation, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.
He said that after the U.S. violated its agreement with Iran, according to his claim, it set the stage for military operations by establishing a corridor in the southern Strait of Hormuz while ignoring warnings from the Islamic Republic. According to Rezaei, Iran responded by targeting several vessels to compel the U.S. to adhere to the terms of the agreement.
Rezaei claimed that Donald Trump had ordered the commander of CENTCOM to escalate the attacks, but U.S. commanders reported that their air and missile capabilities could not be expanded further. Consequently, the plan for a ground and airborne operation was cancelled due to what he described as a “miscalculation” by the U.S. military.
