Iran issued a stark warning after the U.S. began enforcing a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions across the Gulf. The I.R.G.C. called Washington’s move “illegal” and an “act of piracy,” warning that if Iranian ports are threatened, no port in the region would remain safe. Tehran signaled it could tighten control over Hormuz, a vital global oil route. Donald Trump doubled down, claiming Iranian naval assets had been “obliterated” and warning of immediate strikes on any approaching vessels. As rhetoric intensifies, fears of a wider Gulf conflict are rapidly rising.