Iranian police official vows revenge against Trump
An Iranian police official said on Tuesday that Tehran would not back down until it had taken revenge on US President Donald Trump over the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Ali Shirazi, head of the ideological-political organization of Iran’s law enforcement command, said Trump had committed an act no other US president had dared by ordering the killing.
“You killed our Imam. Do you know what the retribution for killing an Imam is? It is cutting you into pieces in front of the axis of resistance,” he said.
Fraudulent messages offering ships safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a maritime security firm.
Greek risk management firm MARISKS said unknown actors posing as Iranian authorities had contacted companies whose vessels are stuck west of the strategic waterway, asking for transit fees in Bitcoin or Tether in return for “clearance.”
"These specific messages are a scam," the firm said in an alert, adding the communications did not originate from Iranian authorities.
The warning comes as the United States continues a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has imposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas once passed before conflict disrupted flows.
Amid ceasefire talks, Tehran has suggested collecting tolls from vessels seeking safe transit, contributing to uncertainty among shipowners.
Hundreds of vessels and roughly 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the disruptions, according to the firm.
On April 18, when Iran briefly allowed limited passage subject to inspections, several ships attempted to transit, but at least two vessels, including a tanker, reported that Iranian boats fired shots, forcing them to turn back.
MARISKS said it believed at least one ship that came under fire while trying to leave the strait on Saturday may have been affected by the fraudulent scheme.
The messages cited by the firm said vessels would need to submit documents for review by Iranian security services, after which a cryptocurrency fee would be set before transit at a pre-arranged time.
Iran’s internet blackout entered its 53rd day on Tuesday, with authorities providing selective access to favored users and businesses while most of the population remains cut off from global networks, NetBlocks said.
"As authorities work to develop tiered access for select users and businesses, the human impacts and economic harms of this digital censorship measure continue to spiral," the internet monitoring group said.
Iran’s armed forces joint military command said on Tuesday that it is ready to respond decisively to any US threats.
Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, said Iran’s armed forces were “united and coordinated,” adding that they were “prepared to deliver decisive, determining and immediate responses to enemy threats and actions.”
He also said that US and Israel had been forced to seek a ceasefire after sustained missile and drone strikes from Iran.
