One of the five military vessels from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps that approached a U.S. warship hosting one of America's top generals on a day trip through the Strait of Hormuz is pictured in this July 11, 2016 handout photo. (Reuters/US Navy)
Iran is threatening again to close the Strait of Hormuz – a key Persian Gulf shipping route – “if the enemy makes a small mistake” and threatens the Islamic Republic, one of its generals boasted Tuesday.
The oil shipping waterway has frequently been the subject of diplomatic clashes between Tehran and Washington.
“If the enemy makes a small mistake, we will shut the Strait of Hormuz, kill their sedition in the bud and endanger the arrogant powers’ interests,” Iranian army’s Deputy Chief of Staff Brigadier General Ali Shadmani said, according to the Fars news agency.
Iran has used the Persian Gulf as a test site for rocket launches, the Times of Israel reports.
In January, Iran detained 10 American sailors whose patrol boats were traveling inside Iranian territorial waters near Farsi Island. Multiple defense officials told Fox News that a “multitude of errors” led to the incident and that the sailors violated the Navy’s longstanding "code of conduct."
Secretary of State John Kerry had thanked the Iranians for their treatment of the Navy sailors before video emerged showing some of the Americans apologizing and crying.
The sailors were released after about 16 hours.
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