Iran has threatened to attack US military bases in the region if Iranian oil tankers are targeted.

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Ali Abdollahi said any attack on Iranian tankers would trigger a military response against American positions in the region.

“The US military called for the evacuation of Iranian tankers with the aim of striking them,” Abdollahi said in comments carried by Iranian state television.

“I therefore announce that any attack on Iranian tankers will provoke strikes by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against US bases in the region,” he said.

The threat came amid reports of explosions on the Iranian islands of Kharg and Jask, both situated near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Mehr and Fars news agencies.

The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for global oil shipments and has remained a key focus of tensions between Iran and the United States.

Iran has repeatedly warned that attacks on its vessels or military positions would prompt retaliation against US forces in the region.

The latest warning came as the two sides faced renewed tensions over the movement of Iranian tankers and the presence of American forces in waters surrounding the Gulf.