Iran’s navy chief Rear Admiral Shahram Irani has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz as “extremely ridiculous.” In a statement published by Iranian media on April 13, 2026, Irani said that Iran’s naval forces are closely monitoring every movement of U.S. fleets in the region.

According to the report, Iran restricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after a joint U.S.-Israeli offensive began on February 28. Tehran has allowed ships from allied nations to pass but banned vessels linked to what it calls aggressive states and their supporters. Iran’s parliament is also advancing a draft law to impose transit fees in the national currency and to prohibit U.S. and Israeli ships entirely.

The Iranian health ministry reported that since February 28, joint force attacks have killed 2,076 people and injured more than 26,000. A U.S. cruise missile strike on a primary school in Minab on the same day killed 168 students, according to the ministry.