Iran's military chief says US warships barred from Persian Gulf, Trump will 'take that dream to his grave'

On October 24, 2026, Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Ali Abdollahi, declared that US military ships would never be allowed to enter the Persian Gulf under any circumstances, and that President Donald Trump would 'take that dream to his grave.' The statement came amid escalating US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks on Iran, with US ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack warning that Washington could strike Iran as soon as this weekend. Iranian forces have restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the war with the US began on February 28, and have targeted ships using a southern route. Recently, two supertankers carrying over 4.5 million barrels of crude oil were abandoned after hitting mines.